"Which tree do you like?"
"What kind of a question is that?"
"It's a very simple question, which tree do you think is the prettiest?"
"How can a tree be pretty?"
Emma smothered her laughter. It was Killian's first Christmas since he'd moved in with them and Henry had decided they had to go all out on the holiday traditions since Killian had never celebrated before. First order of business was choosing a tree.
"Love, which tree do you think is the prettiest?"
Emma's eyes snapped away from her grinning son and focused instead on a pair of intense blue eyes. Her heart did a small summersault – how it was possible that he could still have that effect on her after all this time she didn't know – and then she was able to answer, "I always like the tall, strong ones."
"Well you always did have good taste."
"Uh, guys, can we please focus?" Henry asked.
Killian smirked at her. "Of course, lad," he answered. "Let's go find a tall, strong tree for your mother."
The two of them walked away talking, and Emma stood there for a moment wondering how she ever got so lucky.
"What are we doing, love?"
"Decorating," Emma said.
Killian's forehead wrinkled. "But why? I get the tree in the house, it smells nice after all, but why would you put lights in it?"
"In the olden days people used to put candles in the trees," she explained, "but that was a bit of a fire hazard so with the invention of electricity came a safer option. You'll like it, promise."
He looked skeptical, but he continued to hand the lights to her as she strung the tree. Henry was sitting on the couch attempting to untangle ornament hangers. He was adorably focused.
Emma hung her favorite ornament in the center of the tree where all could see it. She had just one that she'd saved from her many foster homes: it was a glass ball with a house inside. If you shook the ball snow swirled around. She used to look at it and dream about the day that she would have a house and a family of her own.
And now she did.
"You were right, Swan, it's beautiful."
The two of them sat on the couch admiring the tree. Her legs where thrown over his lap and his arms were around her. It was near midnight. Henry had gone to bed hours before.
"I knew you would like it," she said, leaning up to press a kiss underneath his jaw.
Killian smiled down at her. He pushed her hair behind her ear and returned the kiss on the top of her head before sighing in a contented sort of way.
They ended up falling asleep like that, tangled together admiring the lights. They woke up laughing the next morning when they realized where they were.
Emma was making her famous sugar cookies. Henry had helped with the dough and then become bored while waiting for the cookies to bake and so he'd abandoned the task in favor of playing video games with Killian.
It had taken them a while to figure out how exactly Killian could play with one hand, but finally they were able to find a gaming system with no buttons underneath the controller. He was able to sit the controller on his lap or a table and use his good and the point of his hook to play. The joy on his face when he'd finally been able to had been priceless.
Emma was at the point of icing the cookies when she felt someone approach her from behind.
Killian pulled her against him and rested his head on her shoulder.
"Can I taste one?"
She grinned and spun around in his arms. "Open up," she said and gave him a bite of cookie, but in the process she got a bit of icing on his lip. She laughed and leaned up to kiss it off. When she tried to pull away he wouldn't let her. They stayed like that for a minute or two, wrapped up in each other.
Eventually they broke apart. His only comment was, "delicious."
The three of them bundled up and got into Emma's little yellow bug. Killian wasn't sure what to expect of this circuitous drive around town instead of heading straight for their destination, but when they turned onto the first row of houses and he got to see them all lit up he understood.
"Beautiful," he said.
Emma had always loved looking at Christmas lights. Each house always had a different flair to it that somehow encompassed the spirit of its inhabitants. She loved seeing their varying levels of creativity.
Her parents had gone the simple route: all Mary Margaret had hung up was a door wreath filled with blue lights.
Ruby had decorated the house she'd recently bought with only red lights and outlined in the living room window was a wolf.
Dr. Whale had covered his house in white lights so bright that the light was leaking into the neighbors' yards and interfering with their displays. Emma wondered if there was anything going on with Ruby and Whale anymore.
Emma's favorite turned out to be Regina's. Robin and Roland had recently moved in with her (after they had found their way back to Storybrooke with Marian, who had been cured and found someone who wanted to be with her as much as Robin wanted to be with Regina; the four of them had returned to Storybrooke after Regina was able to find a way to allow them all to cross the line without harm).
Regina's house was their stop so they parked out front. Emma stood for a moment admiring the yard.
They had taken strings and strings of colored lights and strung them in the trees, from the base of the trunks to the points of every branch and all over the roof in crisscrossing patterns. There was no doubt in her might that this idea came from Roland. It had the effect of making it look like a candy house.
And then suddenly, "Well don't just stand out there like a bunch of goons, come in!"
Emma grinned at Regina standing on the front step. She looked like a different person, all grins and jokes. Henry ran and gave her a hug that nearly tackled her before they did as the lady of the house bid and went inside.
Henry decided they needed to watch Christmas movies. Killian, who had never seen any of them, agreed because he claimed he was curious. Emma loved seeing his boyish enthusiasm, it only added to his charm.
Henry chose a dozen or so movies and left Killian to decide which three to watch. He deliberated for a few hours before finally choosing: Home Alone, The Santa Clause, and How The Grinch Stole Christmas.
Killian laughed throughout the entirety of Home Alone. He couldn't seem to fathom how a mere child could best grown men over and over again.
Henry muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "Peter Pan."
Killian scoffed. "True, but he was a grown man in a boy's body, doesn't count."
The Santa Clause was brand new to Killian. Apparently Santa did not exist in any form in his world. He became exceedingly annoyed with Charlie's mom and stepfather as the movie continued.
"How can they be so blind as to what's right in front of them?" he asked.
Emma leaned forward and placed her palm on his back. He looked back at her. She knew he was thinking about all the times that she'd been blind to what was standing in front of her.
The final movie was the one that effected Killian the most. When the Grinch's heart grew and busted the meter he stood up and cheered. He was happier than he'd been watching any of the other movies.
Later when Emma asked why he said, "Don't you see? I was the Grinch."
"What?"
"After Milah died, I was the Grinch. And then I met you and my heart grew so much that it would have broken any measuring device."
Emma felt her eyes start to water. She didn't know what to say.
He said it for her. "I love you."
She could only nod, and then he took her in his arms and held her.
Christmas Eve brought Mary Margaret and David's annual party. It was always a black tie affair, and Emma normally hated the idea of dressing up, but this year she felt different. This year she had someone to dress up for.
It had taken her quite a while to find a dress she liked. It was a gold shimmery number, just gold enough to bring out the highlights in her hair, and fell all the way to the floor. It accentuated all her best parts.
Killian waited for her in the living room while she got ready. She felt momentarily afraid when she stepped out of the bedroom, but that feeling vanished when she saw him.
Killian stood before her drinking her in, his mouth slightly ajar. He looked both consumed with love and lust at the same time, and she felt an intense desire to lead him back to their room and have her way with him before the party, but the arrival of Henry stopped that thought in it's tracks.
"Wow, Mom, you look great!"
Emma tore her gaze away from Killian and smiled at her son. Their son. "Thanks, kid."
"Come one, let's go or we're gonna be late!" Henry ran out the door without another word. She knew he'd be waiting for them in the car.
They were alone again, but not for long. They stood looking at each other for a brief moment before Killian came over to her. "You look stunning, Emma."
She felt a blush creeping up her neck.
He took her hand and put it in the crook of his arm. "Shall we?"
The party was a huge success. Emma did her daughterly duty and made her rounds, greeting all the guests. It was there that she learned Ruby and Dr. Whale were in fact a couple. They were just keeping it quiet.
"I've never been one for broadcasting my life," Ruby explained.
Emma had to admit that she agreed, but everyone always seemed to know her business before she knew herself.
Killian stayed by her side the entire night, a proud look on his face. He only left if she needed something and then he was right back by her side. It felt good to have someone with her, someone she knew would never leave.
By the end of the party she was exhausted, but she still found a moment to pull Killian aside. They stood underneath the doorway into the kitchen, smiling at each other.
"What?" he asked.
"Look up," she said.
He did and that's when he noticed the greenery above them. "What's that?"
"Mistletoe."
He cocked an eyebrow at her.
"You have to kiss whoever you're under the mistletoe with," she explained.
"Well then," he said, and then he kissed her.
They broke up only when loud coughing erupted from behind them. Emma slowly came back to her senses and saw all the remaining guests staring at them. She looked back at Killian, and they both started laughing.
"What do you say we get out of here?" he asked.
"Yes, let's find Henry and go home."
"No, Regina and Robin are going to take him for the night. We'll have the house all to ourselves." He grinned at her.
"What a jolly holiday it will be then," she answered with a wink. "Let's get out of here."