After two rounds of ring toss, Emma & Killian shared a basket of French fries with two chili dogs each for lunch. They then spent the rest of afternoon playing the variety of games that the fair had to offer. True to his word, Killian didn't go easy on his wife, but she refused to let him get the better of her. In the end, they managed to tie it up.
They were currently back at the cabin getting ready for their date.
Emma had grabbed one of the chairs from the kitchen and was perched in front of the bathroom mirror putting the finishing touches on her hair and makeup. She had used her curling iron to curl her long blonde locks into loose ringlets that framed her face, which had been accentuated with light pink lipstick, light smoky eyes, a bit of mascara and eyeliner, and a pink blush to top it off.
When she had sat back in her chair, she fluffed her hair with one of her hands before she smiled. It was no secret that Emma Jones despised practically anything that required more time than her normal morning routine. However, she was going on a romantic date with her husband to celebrate their anniversary, and she couldn't be happier about it.
She then stood and headed back into the bedroom. She grabbed the steamer from where she had put it away in one of chest of drawers.
Killian was sitting on the bed putting on his boots when he pulled his wife toward him. She giggled as she landed in his lap.
She then playfully scolded him, "Killian, I'm still getting ready. And so are you."
He only shrugged before he pointed out, "You can't exactly blame me, love. You're always beautiful, and tonight, you're extraordinary."
Emma couldn't help but smile before she pointed out, "I'm not even finished getting ready yet."
"And?" Killian responded as he played with the curls around her face.
The blonde shook her head as she rested her hands around his neck. She then told him, "Sometimes I don't know what I'm going to do with you."
Killian only grinned before he kissed her on the forehead. He then spoke, "I really did want to talk to you about something."
Emma's only response was a raised eyebrow before he continued, "I thought we could go ahead and exchange our presents before we go out tonight."
She smiled brightly as she told him, "I think that's a wonderful idea. Just let me finish getting ready."
He nodded before she got up and headed back to the bathroom.
A few minutes later, Emma had gotten all of the wrinkles out of her dress. She had just slipped it on before she reached behind her to zip it.
She groaned and cursed when she realized she couldn't reach it. Her eyebrows then furrowed when she heard a chuckle behind her.
She turned around to see her husband smirking at her. She took in his outfit of black jeans, black boots, navy blue button-down shirt, black vest, and leather jacket before she complained, "Since you're ready, you could help me, you know," hands planted on her hips.
"And you, my stubborn wife, could ask for help instead of trying to do it yourself. You've worn that dress how many times now?" he pointed out with a grin.
Emma narrowed her eyes for a moment before she relented with a sigh. She then turned around and asked him, "Will you zip this for me?"
"Was that so hard?" Killian teased before he closed the distance between them. He slowly ran the zipper up her back before wrapping his arms around her.
He then told her, "You really are stunning, Swan," before moving her hair to kiss her cheek. She smiled in response.
She then placed her arms over his before resting her head comfortably on his shoulder. They stood in companionable silence for a few moments before Emma told him, "I think we'd better get a move on."
Killian chuckled at that, and Emma laughed as the vibration tickled her ear. The dark-haired man then spoke, "Excited about your present, Swan? The one you didn't ruin the surprise on?"
Though he couldn't see her, Emma rolled her eyes in response. She then nudged him with her elbow, and he groaned in pretend pain.
He then pulled away to go and grabbed the present, which had been stowed away in a drawer. The blonde walked over to the closet to retrieve her present for him.
When they were both sitting down, Killian produced a chain from his bedside table. He couldn't help but grin as he told her, "Since you figured out this bit, I didn't see the point of making you unwrap it."
She rolled her eyes at him. She then pointed out, "Are you ever gonna let that go?"
"I'll let you live it down. Eventually," he replied with that lopsided smile of his. He received a head shake in response.
Emma then took the chain from him before she grabbed her round locket from her bedside table. She slipped it on her chain and then slipped it around her neck.
She then adjusted her position on the bed to where her back was to Killian. She then asked him, "Will you?"
He grabbed the two ends of the necklace and clasped them together. He then told her, "There you go, love."
She turned to face him before she thanked him. She then added, "And thank you for the present. I love it."
"I knew you would, Swan," he replied before moving a curl off her shoulder. He then smiled and continued, "And here's the other part of your present," handing her a large rectangular shaped gift.
Emma tilted her head for a moment as she examined the gift, as though she was trying to figure out what it was. She then began tearing open the heart-themed wrapping paper.
She couldn't help but cover her mouth and wipe a few tears as she held up the photo frame. It was a collage with pictures of Emma & Killian at their wedding.
It featured an individual picture of the bride and groom, as well as two of them together. One was of their first kiss after "I do," and the other one was of their first dance. The collage also featured a copy of Emma & Killian's vows, handwritten in his elegant cursive writing. It was decorated with various stickers and song lyrics.
"Oh, Killian, this is amazing. It's absolutely beautiful, and it represents us and our love so well," Emma told him, with wonder in her tone. She then pulled him in for a tight hug before she kissed him sweetly.
When they pulled away, he cupped her cheek and admitted, "The idea was all mine, love, but I had help with putting it together. Belle has always been rather artistic when it comes to things like that."
Emma only smiled at him before she spoke, "Even if you did have help, it was still an amazing idea that you came up with to celebrate us. I absolutely love it."
Killian smiled back at her before he kissed her forehead. She then spoke, "Besides, I had help with your present, too. Being a kindergarten teacher means that Mary Margaret has a plethora of artistic talent in her pinky finger."
The dark-haired man tilted his head at her as she handed him the gift. It was a thick square wrapped in paper that had "Happy Anniversary" written over every square inch.
His head was still tilted as he also tried to figure out what his present was. He then tore into the paper, smiling when he pulled out a scrapbook.
The scrapbook itself was covered in various heart patterns. When he opened it to the first page, it had "The Story of Us" written in big, bold typed script writing. It then had two photos: one from when Emma & Killian first started dating and another one of them recently.
As he began flipping through the scrapbook, his smile grew as he took in all the memories from their lives. The pictures ranged from baseball games, fishing trips, romantic dates, family gatherings, with Anna Elizabeth and Liam, and just various other photos. Each page had a theme with matching stickers, as well quotes from their wedding songs.
"This is quite remarkable, Swan. You and Mary Margaret did a lovely job," Killian complimented without looking up.
Emma only hummed in response before she slid over to sit next to him. She laid her head on his shoulder as he continued flipping through the scrapbook.
She then heard him comment, "I don't believe we were dating when this picture was taken, Swan," using one of his hands to point to a picture of he and Emma on the boat.
He then continued, "Wasn't this taken right after I recovered from my accident? I wanted to go sailing, but Liam - and Elsa - were both rather worried. You helped ease their minds by offering to go with me."
He kissed her head before he finished, "It also helped ease your mind, love."
"That it did," Emma agreed. She then explained, "I included that picture because it helped me see that I had been in love with you longer than I had realized. I noticed it when I was packing to come back to Storybrooke after being in Boston. You know, running from my feelings."
She took a breath before she told him, "As I studied the picture, I couldn't help but see it in my eyes and in my smile - even back then, I was crazy about you."
Killian couldn't help but smile at her words before he looked closely at the picture. His smile grew as he confirmed, "And I was just as crazy about you, Swan."
Emma leaned up to kiss his cheek in response. She then spoke, "And here we are, over 20 years later."
"Aye, love. And what a 20 years it has been," he spoke with both amusement and fondness in his tone.
"Can't argue with that," the blonde agreed as she looked down at the photo once more. The two of them sat in comfortable silence before a loud beeping made both of them jump.
Emma quickly grabbed her phone from the bedside table and shut off the alarm. Killian then teased, "I'm not old enough to need a hearing aid yet, Swan. I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't ruin my hearing just yet."
Though she wanted to roll her eyes, Emma couldn't help the laugh that escaped. She then explained, "You told me we had a reservation. I just wanted to make sure we didn't miss it by getting too distracted."
"Ah - you mean when you made us hit that blasted log yesterday, love?"
"You were steering. It's not fault that you can't drive a boat when I'm around."
"My sailing isn't the problem. You know how bloody mesmerizing you are to me, and you shouldn't do things to make me forget where the bloody hell I'm going."
"Maybe I like seeing you all flustered and out of sorts. It is quite hilarious, with you being such an experienced seaman and all that."
"Even the most experienced captain has a hell of time getting through a rough storm."
The two of them burst out laughing at this "argument." Both of them really were lovesick teenagers and that wasn't likely to change any time soon.
Emma lifted her head from where she had leaned it against Killian's shoulder. She then told him, "I do think we need to get going. Or we might just miss the reservation."
"Eh, we'll make it in time," he nonchalantly replied with a shrug of his shoulders before he ran his fingers through her hair.
She only shook her head and smiled at him in response. She then bent down to grab her pink flats from beside the bed.
She slipped them on before looking down at them with a tilted head, as though she wasn't quite sure what to think.
Killian looked at her strangely as he asked, "Something the matter, love?"
Emma sighed before she answered, "I'm still getting used to these new shoes. They just look different."
Her husband couldn't fight the chuckle that came out. When he had sobered, "You are by far the most interesting woman when it comes to clothes, Swan. You act as though it physically pains you to go shopping."
The blonde sighed once more before she pointed out, "I just don't understand why, like, style or whatever is so important. They're just clothes," shrugging her shoulders.
Killian chuckled once more before he told her, "Lucky for you, I rather like the faded jeans and tee look. As well as that lovely red leather jacket of yours," his voice slightly teasing.
"Good. Because it's not about to change anytime soon," Emma spoke, a smirk appearing on her face.
The only response she got was a soft and sweet kiss pressed against her lips. She couldn't help but smile into the kiss before she threaded her fingers through Killian's dark hair.
When they pulled away, he took her hand in his, entwining their fingers, and led them toward the door. She happily complied as she squeezed his hand.
As soon as they got in the truck, Killian turned on the radio - only for a scratching sound to be produced from the CD. "Bloody hell. So much for that," he complained.
"Hey, it's alright. It is a 20-year-old CD," Emma told him. She then smiled and reassured him, "I have all the songs saved on my laptop - we can just make another CD."
Killian smiled back at her before he kissed her forehead. He then spoke, "Thank you, love." She nodded before she told him, "Besides, you can always sing to me."
He grinned at that before he teased, "Entranced by my singing, Swan?" his grin turning lopsided.
Though Emma rolled her eyes initially, she couldn't help the fond smile that erupted a moment later. She then told him, "I am, actually. I've always loved your singing - it's, like, soothing, and uh, enjoyable to listen to."
Killian couldn't help but tease, "You don't sound exactly sure, love."
She swatted his arm before she spoke, "I've never had to actually think about it - I just like your singing," shrugging her shoulders.
"I know - I was only kidding. You know I can't resist teasing you."
"Or anyone else for that matter. You were teasing Liam when we first met, receiving eye rolls from Elsa."
Killian only shrugged before he pointed out, "Well, darling, I have always had penchant for the it."
Emma shook her head before she commented, "I'm sure your parents loved that. All the times they had to tell you and Liam to stop teasing your little sister."
"I think that Belle tends to over exaggerate those bits. I don't think we were that bloody awful," Killian pointed out.
He received a grin from his wife as she replied, "I don't know, love, she doesn't tend to exaggerate." Killian rolled his eyes in response.
Emma then started laughing while Killian just shook his head. When she had sobered, she asked, "How about that song now?"
"Hmm, I don't know, Swan. Perhaps I'm rather cross with you," he challenged with a raised eyebrow. The frustration he was trying to feign fell away in an instant.
He sighed before he told her, "It seems I'm rather powerless when it comes to you, love," his expression changing into a smile.
She smiled back as she spoke, "Yeah, well, that makes two of us," leaning over to brush some hair off his forehead.
He smiled at her before he began thinking of a song. A wide smile erupted on Emma's face as he began, "You know our love was meant to be, the kind of love to last forever. And I want you here with me, from tonight until the end of time. You should know, everywhere I go. Always on my mind, In my heart, In my soul, baby…"
Emma couldn't resist the urge to sing the chorus with him, and the two of them continued to sing until they arrived at the restaurant.
When they walked inside, the maître d' escorted asked for the name before escorting them to a cozy table in the back.
Killian pulled out the chair for Emma before kissing her cheek and going to settle in his own chair. She couldn't help but smile as she grabbed the menu.
She tilted her head as she struggled to read the Italian name written on the cover of the menu. Killian noticed, and he couldn't help but chuckle.
He then asked her, "Those few days we spent in Italy didn't help you learn a bit of the language, love?"
Emma couldn't help but roll her eyes as she pointed out, "That was 20 years ago." She then paused and continued, "Everyone could tell we, uh, well, me, were American?" pausing once more to furrow her brows. She then finished, "Anyways, they knew we only spoke English."
"You, my darling, were especially obvious since you managed to mispronounce almost every single food while we were there," Killian teased with a grin.
The blonde scowled at her husband in response. A memory then flitted to mind, and a grin erupted on her face. Killian raised an eyebrow, and she told him, "Well, 'Mr. I'm still more English than I am American,' you didn't know that a lift was an elevator, and you were confused when the guy asked if you wanted a bag of crisps - as opposed to chips - with your sandwich when we stopped by that sandwich place when we spent that day exploring London."
Killian couldn't help but scratch behind his ear. He then looked as though he was about to protest before he simply sighed. He then resigned, "I should know better than to try to get the better of you, love."
Emma offered a satisfied smirk as she agreed, "Yeah, you should." She received an eye-roll from her husband, to which she giggled in response.
She then told him, "But you've always been a little on the headstrong side. You never know when to give up."
Killian tilted his head at her as he pointed out, "Coming from the woman who refused to give up sleeping on the right side of the bed after we were married. As well as taking both pillows I had on the bed for herself on our wedding night."
Emma couldn't help but huff before she argued, "What kind of insane person only has two pillows on a queen-sized bed?"
"Normal people?" Killian challenged. He paused before he reminisced, "I didn't think it would be much of a problem considering that you fell asleep on my chest. But then you rolled over at some point and claimed both pillows. Thankfully, my mattress is incredibly soft."
He then began to chuckle, receiving an odd look from his wife. He then told her, "I'll admit I was slightly annoyed with you for stealing my pillows and my side of the bed, but it's rather comical now."
Emma couldn't help but chuckle as well as she admitted, "If it's any consolation, I did have to learn to not take up the entire bed while I slept. Though I didn't think I could physically push you off the bed, I was worried that you'd just sleep somewhere else so you wouldn't have to wake me."
"I truthfully considered it those first nights of our honeymoon," Killian acknowledged. A smile made its way on his face as he continued, "But I rather enjoyed having you sleeping next to me, and I knew we'd figure it out."
"And we did," Emma conceded with a smile before reaching over to squeeze his hand. He squeezed hers back in response.
The two of them then continued looking at the menu. The blonde tilted her head once more as she perused the menu.
She then spoke, "I think I'll have the cheese raviolis - I've been craving some ever since they had that pasta competition on Chopped."
Killian hummed in response before he told her, "I think I'll have the eggplant parmigiana," receiving a look of disgust from his wife.
He couldn't help but chuckle before he surmised, "Ah, yes, I forgot you have an aversion to eggplants."
"I just don't like how they taste. David and Mom both loved them, so she put them in practically every stew, soup, or casserole that she made. I ate them, but I wasn't particularly fond of them - she eventually started making some without the eggplants for me," Emma explained.
"Ah, yes. I remember your brother saying something about your mother spoiling you to try to make up for foster care," Killian said, a hint of a smile developing on his face.
The blonde couldn't help but smile fondly at his words. She then spoke, "It definitely worked. She really helped me feel like I was part of a family," with a note of nostalgia.
She then turned her full attention to her husband and told him, "And one of the happiest days of my life is when I said 'yes' to you - when we became a family."
Killian smiled brightly as he told her, "Aye, love. There was no one I'd rather share my life with - and that's still true 20 years later. I love you so much, Emma."
"And I love you, Killian. If the next 20 years are anything like these have been, I'll fall even more in love with you."
"Aye, Swan. We'll be old and gray, still sailing in the boat and spoiling our grandchildren," he told her with a bright smile.
She returned his smile as she added, "And still dancing along to Bryan Adams and Chicago with you humming along in my ear."
"And you resting your head on my chest," he continued as he reached over and ran a hand through her hair. She rested her hand on his for a moment before the waiter came by to take their orders.
When the waiter had left, Killian poured two glasses of wine that he had requested from the maître d'. He handed a glass to Emma before he spoke, "How about a toast?"
She nodded before raising her glass a bit. He raised his before he spoke, "To us. And all the amazing years we've had together."
Emma smiled brightly as they clinked their glasses. "To us," she then repeated before they both took a sip.
She then leaned slightly over the table, and he met her halfway for a sweet kiss. When they pulled away, she told him, "Happy anniversary."
He smiled as he told her, "Happy anniversary, love." She offered a fond smile in response.
The two of them then took another sip of wine before falling into easy conversation as they awaited their meals.