When Emma was a little girl in the orphanage, she held on to any little semblance of normalcy. Trying to fit into different families traditions, trying to make some up for herself. Like her blue star birthday candle, or nightly rituals of tracing stars and constellations with her finger. And when she was adopted by the Nolans in middle school, she had started a few with her new family during holidays and walks home from school. She never realized that she would be building some of her most lasting traditions when she got to college.
Mario Kart:
It all started during finals during fall semester their freshmen year, Emma had just come out of an exam, ready to exalt in the freedom she had made it to winter break. As she approached her room she could hear yelling and screaming.
"How could you David! I thought you loved me!"
"All's fair in love and Mario Kart, babe."
"Oi mate, budge over, just because Maggie pushed you off the bed doesn't mean you get my seat."
Emma dropped her bag by her desk before sprawling face down on her bed.
"Alright there Emma?" Killian asked as his eyes remained glued to the screen.
"Tired."
"Here play, do something mind numbing for a moment."
"Don't wanna move" Emma mumbled, and before she could bury her head any further she felt her bed shift and a controller being shoved into her hands.
"Come on, I'll even help you and we can take down your brother and roommate."
Emma pushed herself up and settled herself in Killian's arms. Sometime around midterms they had fallen into a relationship. They weren't as sweet as David and Maggie (or so they said, but Killian could put anyone's romantic tendencies to shame), but they had become best friends in such a short of amount of time that when things took a turn for the romantic it had felt like a natural progression. They both had been wary at first, because they had both had their own mending hearts, but nothing could keep them apart now.
They eventually crushed David and Maggie at Mario Kart then they all decided to celebrate the end of finals by going to their favorite pizza place near the university. After that it became a thing, at the end of every semester, and once they were out of school they would keep it up and turn it into a tournament of video games and pizza the couples taking turns hosting and it continued to grow adding new friends every so often.
That was the first of many traditions that they kept up over the years. More than half of them born during their days in college.
Extended Edition:
There was also their yearly movie marathon day. Also known as Killian's birthday. The first time his birthday rolled around while they were dating Emma didn't even know. It was early in their second year, she had gone to his dorm room that he shared with her brother, to see if he wanted to go see the newest Marvel movie and then they could grab dinner and walk around the harbor. She could be romantic too when she wanted to, and Killian always pulled out all the stops for their dates. So for his birthday she wanted to do something nice but low-key and then for the weekend she had a whole other surprise planned for him.
She made it to the room and was about to knock when she noticed the door slightly ajar and the room was totally dark with a glimmer of light coming from the TV. She pushed the door open quietly and spied two dark heads on her boyfriend's bed. She recognized the second one quickly, it was Liam Killian's older brother, but he was usually away as a captain in the navy. Emma smiled, he must have taken some time off to spend his birthday with his younger brother. She slid into the room commandeering David's bed and sinking into the magic that was Lord of the Rings. They sat in silence wrapped up in Frodo's epic quest, until it was time to switch the disc.
Killian smiled sheepishly at his girlfriend, and wordlessly asked Liam switch places with Emma so he could hold her. Emma just hugged Liam hello and told him not to move, it was totally fine. She understood that this was something they did every year on his birthday by the practised ease and set up they had; there was food everywhere in her boyfriend's normally neat room. During their next break, Liam had gone down to gram the take out they ordered for dinner, Killian explained the tradition. Liam and Killian's parents had died just shy of Killian's 17th birthday, and instead of a big celebration for his birthday, Liam had taken Killian to see Lord of the Rings. It just became a thing, especially when the extended edition was released. Emma smiled and thanked him for letting her be a part of his birthday tradition, even if by accident and she let the brothers bond and finished the trilogy with them before crashing on her brother's bed.
The tradition would carry on, every year. No matter where Liam was stationed (until he had finally been stationed nearby and settled down) He would find some way to be with Killian on his birthday whether in person or on skype, they would watch the trilogy, and now Emma was a part of it. And soon it grew to a family tradition for his birthday, once he and Emma had gotten a place of their own, and Killian felt like he could share this day with her family as well.
Ice Blocking:
Killian's brain was fried. Midterms were going to kill him, he knew being a double major would come around to bite him in the ass. Just when he thought he couldn't read anymore, or do any more math proofs, his phone began ringing. The screen flashed with his girlfriend's face pouting. She didn't want her picture taken, come on Killian you don't need that many pictures of me. We see each other every day! To which he waxed poetic about immortalizing her beauty on his phone, even if she was being surly. Her ringtone sounded once more "Babe pick up your phone!"
"Darling?"
"Hey sweetums"
"Dave? What are you doing with Emma's phone?"
"Listen, come over to the hill overlooking the city up Jann Lane, Elsa is helping us relax before midterms."
Killian could hear squeals of delight in the background, and smiled to himself, the recent addition to their little group was Elsa, a transfer Psychology student was definitely behind this stress relieving activity.
"Alright I'm on my way over!"
Killian hopped into his car and drove to the hill, seeing all his friend's cars lined up, and a set of headlights shining on them.
Sliding down the hill.
On squares.
Squares of ice.
Well there were more cube like but that was besides the point. It was the middle of spring, where did all that ice come from? He jogged over to his girlfriend wrapping her up in a hug.
"Hey you."
"Hey, you wanna try to go next? We bought a bunch of blocks of ice from the grocery store and decided to go ice blocking!"
"Ice blocking?"
"Yeah, Elsa sister and sister's boyfriend are visiting and introduced us to it. And we figured you could use a fun mental health break."
"Yeah that sounds great, thanks love."
"Here watch Anna and her boyfriend Kristoff, and then we'll go after them."
Killian looked over to where Elsa's sister was, as she slung a burlap sack over a block of ice and sat on it like a sled. Kristoff was already on his telling Anna they would race to the bottom. As they took off sliding down the hill, Killian laughed, this would be fun. He held Emma tighter to him, glad to have some reprieve from his studies.
They ended up staying out until the wee hours of the morning, the ice melting down, sending the rest of them back to the house that Maggie, Emma and Elsa rented. They all crashed after some hot chocolate (with cinnamon of course) haphazardly strewn across the living room, everyone half on top of each other.
The next morning, Killian had his arms wrapped around Emma and tried to move, but found that his leg was pinned down by one of Kristoff's legs, and of one Anna's. He shifted as much as he could and kissed Emma's temple, she smiled sleepily at him,
"Let's do this again, next time we have midterms. I think its good for us."
"Aye, we'll make a grand ice blocking tradition, for midterms, and maybe anytime we start taking anything too seriously and getting stressed out."
"Yeah, definitely."
Emma snuggled into his arms, they could get back to reality after getting a bit more sleep.
Cupcakes:
Emma was never really a cake kind of person. She like sweets for sure, but the first time she spent a birthday with the Nolans, she had told Ruth, that just a cupcake would be fine. When her adoptive mother bristled at the idea of a single cupcake to celebrate a birthday, Emma rambled on about how foster parents never thought to get her a cake, and she preferred simple stuff anyway. Ruth decided to make her her cupcake, along with 11 others. She had artfully crafted a star out the cupcakes and frosting and put a blue star candle in the middle. Emma had cried at how much effort Ruth had put in and how David proudly announced that he had helped with the icing. She had a real family for the first time.
Every year on her birthday afterward, all her birthday "cakes" had been cupcakes in various shapes. One year (David had been very proud) her cupcake cake was in the shape and face of Sailor Moon. It had become a tradition in her family, Ruth and David taking turns coming up with different shapes, and when David starting dating Mary Margaret she had gotten in on the decorating as well. And then there was the year they explained it to Killian. The first birthday she celebrated with him, they had been dating for nearly a year. Secretly he'd been working with David and an extremely pleased Ruth in designing her birthday cupcake cake.
Emma had shared so much of her past with Killian including her original last name from her very first foster family. Swan, and how she loved the story of the ugly duckling and how she felt like the little cygnet in the story. When she finally found her family she felt like she bloomed into the swan, even though she was now a Nolan.
For her birthday that year, her family had crafted a beautiful swan out of the cupcakes, with a blue star candle right in the middle. She cried again, although now because her family felt complete now, with Killian and Maggie and all their friends singing happy birthday to her. Ruth wrapped her in a hug and whispered in her ear,
"That boy is a keeper duckling. Happy birthday baby girl. I love you."
She knew her mom was right, and there was nothing that could take Killian away from her now that she knew truly how she felt about him. And his cupcake designing.
Trimmings:
Christmas was Killian's favorite time of year. He loved the crisp cold weather, and all the traditions he and Liam were able to keep alive even after losing their parents. He had two tubs in his closet filled with Christmas decorations and trimmings. This Christmas, Liam would be away, since it was one of his last away missions, until he received his promotion and would be stationed nearby. So this Christmas he would finally be spending it with his girlfriend and her family (And Maggie) after being with Emma for the past 3 and half years. They had invited him to their festivities and told him to bring some of his decorations.
Killian stood in front of his closet debating if he should bring all of his stuff to the Nolans. Most of the ones he had were homemade ornaments and garland. And then there was his favorite, the tree topper. He remembered the year they made it. He was a wee lad, and his father had brought home delicate metal and light wood as well as pieces of sea glass. And between his parents and his brother they were able to craft a beautiful star*. It wasn't one of the kinds with lights in it, but when the light from the tree or candle light would catch on the sea glass, it would glow like magic. He very gently packed half of his decorations and loaded them in his car, and made his way to see his love and her family for Christmas.
When he arrived and Ruth had asked him what was in the tub, he sheepishly scratched the back of his ear and explained how he and Liam (and his parents) made all their ornaments, and so he brought some of them just in case, and really it was all right if they had their own traditions, he didn't mean to impose, of course they don't have to use them, he didn't know what he was thinking. Ruth put the poor boy out of his misery and told him he was more than welcome to share his decorations with them.
He unloaded some of his decorations, and blushed to his hairline as Emma wrapped her arms around him and commented on how adorable all the handmade ornaments were, in particular one he'd made as a wee lad with his photo on it (he thought he'd carefully removed any of the kind from the box but must have missed one), in it he was gleefully smiling at the camera without a care about his missing front teeth. He had saved an ornament hidden in a box in his suitcase for her, a special homemade ornament to keep with his family's tradition; he would give it to her on Christmas morning (if he could keep his cool and not ramble and stumble over some carefully crafted words).
Soon the whole house was decorated between the Nolans and Killian and Maggie. The tree was completed save for the tree topper. David brought in a box from the attic with a number of tree toppers, all different kinds, some homemade, some bought. But every year depending on the whimsy of both David and Emma they would pick a different one to grace the top of the tree. There was usually some kind of argument between the siblings, but eventually they would go with whatever went with the tree that year. Before David could start on which topper he thought would be the best for the tree that year, Emma and Ruth had found Killian's sea glass star and held it up wordlessly. The lights from the tree shone through the glass, and created a beautiful glow around the room. David knew there would be no argument this year. It felt like a magic had settled into their living room. Emma gently laid the star in Killian's hands,
"How about you do the honors and put the star at the top?"
"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to impose."
Ruth smiled, "Go ahead honey, you're practically family now, and whoever made or picked our the tree topper gets to put it up, family tradition."
Gingerly Killian stepped up to the tree and stood on the stool settled in the front (he might have been a tall man, but the Nolan's loved having giant Christmas trees, because what else are high ceilings good for anyway?)
Once he'd stepped down Emma wrapped her arms around her waist and rested her head on his shoulder. The room glowed with love and warmth as the family gathered around and took in their decorations.
"Okay, let's get the rest of the gifts all settled under the tree so we can be ready for Christmas day!"
"Alrighty Santa!" Emma laughed, and then a wicked gleeful smile came upon her face as she faced her boyfriend.
"You get to be Santa's elf this year pointy!" She whispered as she tugged on his (admittedly cute) pointed elf ears.
The look of indignation he was about to give her gave way to the big happy smile on her face. She was so excited to share this with him.
"Aye, I'll be the elf" He ignored the snort of laughter from David, and the giggles from Ruth and Maggie.
"It'll be a new tradition."
(Which a few years down the road was passed down to their son who had inherited his father's pointy "elf ears")
*( . )