I own nothing except my delusions.
Slowly gaining consciousness, Emma nuzzled her face into where she lay on Killian's chest.
"I know you're awake," she heard him murmur.
Instead of responding, she clutched his shoulders tighter, feeling the rumble in his chest as he chuckled.
"You know Henry's gonna be up soon," he reminded her, running his hand along her spine.
"Soon, meaning not now," she countered. "He's been sleeping better, so he should still be down. That means we have a little more time before we have to get up. Besides, not all of us like to wake up as soon as the sun rises."
Even with her eyes closed, she knew he was smirking.
"Aren't princesses supposed to rise early?" he asked with a small laugh.
She finally opened her eyes, lifting herself up enough to look down at him.
She knew he had only meant it teasingly, but her words carried a depressed tone. "I'm not a princess anymore. I haven't been for almost two years."
His light mood suddenly disappearing, he tenderly cradled her face, stroking her cheek.
"You're still my princess, Emma," he told her softly. "You always will be."
Leaning forward, she lovingly kissed his lips.
"And you'll always be my lieutenant," she said as she rested her forehead to his.
"Not a dashing rapscallion?" he asked mirthfully. "Devilishly handsome pirate?"
Releasing a laugh, Emma kissed him again, making him smile widely.
She pulled away, moving off of him to get up. She caught Killian's appreciative grin as his eyes followed her, watching as she removed her nightgown.
He got out of the bed a second later, grabbing fresh clothes to change into.
"Should we wrap up what we got for Henry you think?" he asked her.
She shrugged as she grabbed the skirt of her dress. "Probably. But with our luck, he'll probably like the wrappings more than the ship."
"He's a baby," he said with a light laugh. "Of course he'll like the wrappings more. It's easier to rip up than a toy."
Smiling, she looked over at him. "I just can't believe he's a year old. He's grown so much since he was born."
Nodding, he pulled on his shirt. "Yeah, he has. I don't think I can ever forget the day he was born."
Dressed in her pale yellow dress, she quickly braided back her hair, knowing Henry still had a penchant for pulling on it.
Despite no longer wearing the gowns she had grown up in, Emma was comfortable in the clothes she wore. She no longer felt the weight her old dresses carried, instead just being able to focus on being a wife and a mother.
Just like she had, Killian had abandoned his more regal attire, but continued to keep most of the clothing he had obtained when he turned to piracy, with some other pieces mixed in. She didn't complain, thinking the black fabrics suited him, as well as enhanced his features if anything, including the kohl he sometimes continued to wear.
Applying a balm that stained her lips red, she looked back over at her husband in question, seeing him pull their son's birthday present from a chest to try wrapping it.
She moved closer to him to peer down at the toy. "Maybe wrap it kind of loose? So that way it's easy for him to open?"
He nodded. "That's what I was thinking."
Releasing a small laugh, she leaned into him. "I think you'll be happy though. I'm going to make Henry that cake that you like so much."
He quickly turned, grinning widely.
"And you're not to eat all of it," she warned.
When Killian and Liam had first been taken in by Snow and David, Emma's parents immediately insisted on treating them as part of the family, including celebrating their birthdays. On Killian's first birthday with them, Granny had made him a cake similar to one his own mother had made him before she passed. Seeing how much he had enjoyed it, Emma made it her mission to learn the recipe so she could make it for him herself, knowing it by heart by the time she was twelve. She began making it for him every year for his birthday, making it one of the few things she did know how to make when she and Killian first settled in their cottage, letting them keep the tradition.
When it had been his birthday a couple months prior, Henry had gotten to sample it, leading the boy to try sneaking more from his parents' plates. Both Emma and Killian instantly knew Henry liked it.
"Don't worry, love," Killian laughed. "I won't."
"I'm actually gonna go see if Henry's awake," she told him, pecking his cheek before pulling away from him.
Leaving him to check on their son, she entered Henry's room, seeing him standing as he held onto the wall of his crib, patiently waiting for her.
"Mama!" he called happily, reaching out to her when he saw her.
Smiling widely, she scooped him into her arms, kissing his cheek. "Good morning, Henry. And happy birthday."
He looked at her curiously, not understanding the phrase.
"You're a year old today," she whispered, hugging him close, knowing he still had no idea what she was saying.
Carrying him out, she took him to the main room right as Killian set down Henry's present on the table.
"Papa!" he shouted, smiling widely as he reached out to Killian.
Grinning down at him, Killian took him from Emma, holding the baby close to his chest.
"Are you hungry, kid?" Emma asked Henry as she lightly tickled his belly.
He laughed as he squirmed in Killian's arms. "Aye!"
"I'll take care of him, unless you wish for me to cook?" Killian offered.
She quickly shook her head, waving them off. "No, I've got it."
He nodded, leaning forward to kiss her cheek.
Wanting to imitate his father, Henry leaned precariously away from Killian, grabbing onto his mother to plant a wet kiss on her other cheek.
Laughing, she kissed Henry's head. "Aw, aren't you a little gentleman? Just like your Papa, huh?"
Grinning shyly, he suddenly tucked his head in Killian's neck.
"C'mon, lad," Killian said, moving away with Henry. "Let's let your Mama work, okay?"
He sat down to keep Henry occupied, watching as the boy ran around.
"Feel like maybe spending the day outside?" Emma asked, knowing Henry would love it.
Nodding, Killian glanced back over at her before he returned his eyes to Henry. "I think someone would enjoy that."
He let out an exagerated groan when Henry jumped on him, falling onto his back.
"You're letting a one-year-old take you out like that?" Emma teased from her spot at the counter.
Letting out a playful grunt as Henry sat on his chest, Killian picked his head up to look over to his wife.
"He's getting heavy," he laughed. "Plus he's having fun."
Smiling, she shook her head as she listened to Henry playing with Killian.
They ate when she was done preparing their food, both watching as Henry fed himself little bits of his food.
He enjoyed many of the foods they gave him, meaning he relied less on Emma providing him most of his food. She had never at all minded nursing him, only growing wary as he started teething.
As soon as he was cleaned up from his breakfast and bathed, Emma sat beside him on the rug, Killian on his other side, as they handed him his wrapped present.
Henry looked at it curiously before Emma reached down to make a little tear in the paper, showing Henry. Without further prompting, he tore through the paper, happily flinging it around as he revealed the wooden ship. He looked at it with wide eyes as he touched the masts before he held it out to Killian, showing it to him.
Emma smiled, knowing he was doing it because Killian would take him by the docks to see the ships sometimes when they were in the town.
"You have your very own ship now," Killian smiled at him.
"Mine?" Henry asked.
Killian shook his head. "Aye, Sea Otter. All yours."
Smiling, Henry looked back down at his ship.
"You're going to try to get him to become a sailor, aren't you?" Emma asked, looking over at Killian.
He looked at her innocently. "No. I'm merely going to provide him with a little bit of direction."
Rolling her eyes playfully, she got up. "I'm going to go make that cake for Henry."
Killian smiled back shamelessly.
Killian sat close to where Henry was playing, relaxing as he watched his son.
He looked on in amusement as Henry ran on the grass, the boy having decided he liked the feeling of the blades beneath him.
His arms automatically wrapped around his son when he plopped on his lap, ship in hand.
"You like that, don't you?" he asked, looking down at Henry.
Henry continued to look at the wooden ship in response, his fingers wrapping around the masts.
A sudden pang of longing running through him, Killian wished he still had access to the Jolly Roger, just to take Henry out. He missed being out at sea himself, but knew he would gladly give it all up again for his wife and son.
Lost in thought with Henry on his lap, Killian didn't hear Emma approach them until she sat beside him, affectionately ruffling Henry's hair.
Instantly knowing he was contemplating something, she rested her hand on Killian's shoulder soothingly. "You're thinking about something. What's wrong?"
"Nothing, love," he responded. "I promise you, everything is fine."
Studying him for a moment, she nodded before nestling into his side.
"You know I know something's up," she said quietly as Henry got up to grab his lion.
They both had their eyes on Henry when Killian spoke again. "Just wishing I had the Jolly Roger still. I think the lad would love going out on it."
"You miss going out on the water too, don't you?" she asked, resting her hand on his bicep, stroking his arm with her thumb.
"I do," he admitted. "But I wouldn't trade this for anything. I love you and Henry too much to ever go out again. All of this, this life, is enough for me."
She smiled tenderly before kissing him, prompting him to draw his hand up to her cheek.
As they broke apart, she nestled further into him, letting him drape his arm around her to keep her close.
"And we love you, too," she told him, drawing her arm around him and resting her hand on his thigh.
He sighed contently, feeling more relaxed than before with Emma in his arms.
"You know, no matter what we give him, he still always grabs his lion," she mused, amusement in her voice.
Looking back over at Henry, Killian saw him with the stuffed lion in hand, even as he played with the ship.
Nodding, he rested his chin on the crown of her head.
"Do you think you'll ever want to have another one someday?" she asked.
Killian knew exactly what she was talking about.
Feeling hope rising up within him, he pulled back enough to look down at her.
"Swan, are you..." he began.
She shook her head, what looked like regret just touching her features. "No, no, I'm not. But I'm just asking, for someday, if you'll want to have another baby. I know we talked about it briefly once before."
Feeling slightly disappointed, he quickly pushed it back, focusing on her.
"I would love for us to have another child," he told her. "Henry is enough, but if we were to perhaps have more, I would be happy with that."
Laughing, she looked up at him. "You're planning on more than one?"
He released his hold on her to scratch behind his ear. "Not exactly, but I wouldn't be opposed to the possibility."
She nodded, a soft smile stretching her lips. "Good. Just not yet, though."
Nodding, he kissed her forehead. "Aye, not yet." He smirked, looking down at her mischievously. "But that doesn't mean we can't practice for when we decide it's time."
Laughing, she playfully swatted his chest, drawing a laugh from him. Drawing his hook around her wrist, he brought her hand to rest over his heart.
"You're incorrigible," she sighed, fighting a grin.
"Yet you've put up with me for all of these years," he teased.
She rolled her eyes playfully, leaning completely against them.
Henry toddled over to them, collapsing onto their laps.
"Hey, kid," Emma said, releasing Killian to pick Henry up. "Are you getting hungry?"
Looking at him, Killian knew he was, knowing his son completely. He rose up, extending his arms to take the child so Emma could get up.
He walked beside Emma to their cottage, Henry secure in his arms.
"I can get him his food," he offered, resting Henry at his hip.
"You sure?" she asked, hesitantly holding her arms out for the boy.
Killian nodded, passing Henry to her, going to make Henry his lunch as he looked over his shoulder to see Emma sitting with Henry facing her on her lap, smiling down at the boy.
Teaser: Slowly, Killian nodded. "So just lay low?"
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