A/N: Wish Killian makes sure that Alice's childhood will be full of fun and games and along the way he has some experiences that were taken from him during his own childhood.
Childhood Games
His childhood had ended in the blink of an eye. One moment he had a father who would always be there to take care of him and Liam, and the next he and his brother were sold like some unwanted property. And so had been his childhood. He had no time or opportunities to be silly and carefree or to goof around with Liam. Instead, he had to be cautious and cunning, always looking out for his back if he wanted to survive. He'd lost his brother and the woman he loved and, with only vengeance on his mind, finding time to laugh and be happy hadn't been a priority.
Now, though, he was determined to make sure that Alice wouldn't have to go through the same joyless childhood. It was up to him to make the most of her dire circumstances. And so, he made sure to provide her with as much fun and distractions as he could, to provide her with a childhood.
When she was fussy or was crying, he made the goofiest face he could think of and soon she was smiling again.
Bathing always seemed to provide a good dose of laughter too since, by the end of it, he too was soaked from head to toe. His starfish had the habit of twisting and turning in his grip like and enraged sea monster and splashed water everywhere. Granted, cleaning up after that wasn't even half as fun but it was worth it. Every time she laughed reassured him that he was doing it right.
That was why tickling was one of his favorite pastimes. It sent her into a fit of giggles that left her breathless and had even managed to make her stomach hurt once or twice. And that was the only pain he ever wished she went through.
When she got a little older, he'd lift in the hammock and they'd pretend it was a pirate ship, rocked by the waves of the ocean. They fended off imaginary threats and followed a made-up map on their way to a hidden treasure.
Treasure was not the only thing they sought though. They played hide-and-seek too, even though there were barely any secret places in the confines of the tower. Still, Alice loved to play and he pretended that he couldn't see her the second he opened his eyes. Things were less of a pretense when it was time for him to hide, though, since he was too big to fit in most of the hiding places that she used. It was a good thing that he wasn't in the game to win. He only wanted to see his starfish happy.
And she was. She smiled and laughed and had all the fun she could in her circumstances. And along with her, he found time to be silly and have fun himself. Thanks to her, he got some of his childhood back.
