Canon Universe.
Prompt: Tree Decorating
Killian was making it really difficult for her to not throw up her hands and say to hell with decorating. It was as if he was trying to get on her nerves.
It had all started when Henry had told him what mistletoe meant, and Killian had proceeded to hang some from literally every doorway in the house. Front door, back door, hall closet, their bathroom.
Every. Single. One.
(and okay so that one she hadn't particularly minded, but it was the least of his transgressions)
They were currently shopping for decorations, because once Killian had learned about more of this world's Christmas traditions he had insisted the two of them and Henry decorate as a family and he really knew how to play on her emotions. Plus he wouldn't pass up the opportunity to have a tree indoors. And now he was fighting her on everything.
"Why would you want a fake tree when you could have a real tree? Inside!"
"This one comes with lights already on it, doesn't that feel like cheating?"
"Why would you want garland instead of tinsel? Tinsel is shiny and you should know how much pirates like shiny things."
Presently, they were arguing (okay so she was the only one arguing, but he was being ridiculous) over which ornaments they should get. After a full fifteen minutes, in which Henry stood between them watching like it was a tennis match, she finally relented and allowed the red and gold ornaments he insisted on.
"Okay, now we should see about a tree skirt," she huffed, hoping this decision would go smoother.
"Why would a tree need a skirt, Swan?" he asked and she groaned, knowing it wouldn't be as easy as she hoped.
Another five minutes later ("Killian the colors have to match, so if you want the blue one, we're getting the blue and silver ornaments I liked), they were preparing to check out when Henry asked about the star for the top.
And oh boy, did that take forever. Seriously what was his deal with wanting the red ornaments but blue everything else? Blue tree skirt, blue star, but no blue ornaments? Really?
It was a good thing she loved him so much.
Eventually they made it home and it felt like nothing short of a miracle.
Henry set to work helping Killian set up the tree (and yes, they did get a fake one because she was not going to spend the next three weeks vacuuming up fallen needles) while Emma went about the smaller things around the house.
About half an hour later, Emma's phone chimed with a text from Regina. The mayor and Robin were planning their own decorating and the two women had agreed that Henry should be present for both of theirs.
I have both the kids in my car, would you mind sending Henry out?
She stuck her head into the living room. "Henry, your mom is here, grab your stuff," she said, typing out a quick response to Regina. She walked him to the foyer to see him off, waving to both of them from her front porch before turning back to the warmth of her house. Killian was right where she left him, in the process of hanging ornaments on the tree. The only problem was he was going about it all wrong.
"Killian the tree is eight feet tall, you can spread the ornaments out more," she said as she walked across the room. "You have them all at eye level," she explained, coming beside him to move one of the ornaments more towards the top of the tree.
She worked next to him for a few minutes before going to the kitchen to retrieve the bag with their stockings in them. When she came back into the living room, she had to stop herself from rolling her eyes because he just had to be doing this on purpose. Why else would the entire top half be red and the bottom gold?
"Killian Bartholomew Jones, are you trying to annoy me?" she huffed, tossing the stockings on the couch as she passed.
The barely concealed smirk on his face was all the answer she needed.
"Bartholomew?" he raised an eyebrow in question.
"I don't know, but it fits and it's staying," she bumped him out of the way so she could go about arranging the ornaments herself.
"Why exactly were you trying so hard to get on my nerves?" she asked, looking at him out of the corner of her eye.
The smirk on his face proved he obviously didn't regret a thing he had done. "I have a bet going with your father. Right now he's probably wrapping everything in the loft in tinsel or eating all the popcorn of the strings so your mother is left with only cranberries," he grinned, looking entirely too pleased with himself.
"Can I ask why you two thought it would be such a wonderful idea to make me and my mother want to rip our hair out?"
Killian shrugged. "I mentioned we were going to decorate, he mentioned how your mother was already a nervous wreck over it. I said that it was a bigger deal for us since it's our first Christmas as a family and that you would probably be more obsessive than your mother and he disagreed. It developed from there. But you know how I love a challenge, what was I to do when he offered one?" he winked at her.
"Why do I love you so much?" she questioned jokingly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and running her hands through the hair at the nape of his neck.
"It probably has something to do with my cunning wit and dashing good looks," he fired back with his signature grin.
Emma chuckled. "Hmm yeah, that's probably it," she said, leaning in for a chaste kiss that left her breathless all the same.
Afterwards when they had finally finished decorating, they stood back to assess their work with his arms wrapped around her waist from behind and his chin on her shoulder.
"I still think the blue star would have been a better option," he whispered, and the responding slap on his shoulder was half-hearted at best.