Chapter 11: Morning Craving

Emma opened her eyes. The feeble light let her guess that it was still early in the morning. A smile lit up her face as she became aware of Killian who was sleeping right behind her, of his chest against her back, and of his arm around her. He had been holding her like this at night for months, but there hadn't been a single morning when it had failed to make her smile. His hand was under hers, on the baby bump which was now rather prominent: it was the end of February and Emma was twenty-two weeks pregnant.

Deciding that it was too early to be awake, she softly rearranged her pillow and closed her eyes again, but her moves had been enough to rouse Killian.

"You alright, love?" he mumbled sleepily.

"Yes. Sorry for waking you up."

"No need to apologize for this."

He tenderly tightened his embrace and intertwined his legs with hers some more, before lightly kissing her shoulder. If she hadn't done anything, he would have let himself fall asleep again, which was also what she had intended to do, but the touch of his lips made her change her mind: she turned around and kissed him. Both with their heads on their pillows, they were silently gazing and smiling at each other. While looking at him, her thoughts drifted and she thought of chocolate. She recalled the chocolate sponge cake they had eaten on the previous evening, and remembered there were some leftovers. They were appealing but she didn't feel like going to the kitchen so early. She knew Killian would not hesitate and would go and get some for her if she asked him, but she was not sure she wanted him to leave this bed where he was keeping her so warm.

Reading her, his lips stretched into a lopsided smile. "You're giving me your craving look. What is it that you want?"

"My craving look?" she repeated.

"Yes. This look meaning you're craving something right now, undoubtedly some kind of dessert, and you're wondering whether you should ask me to get it for you, because it means you'll need to do without my devilishly handsome self for a few minutes. Unless you get out of this bed and come with me, which is unlikely considering the early time," he explained teasingly, making Emma giggle. "Am I wrong?"

"Nope," she admitted before kissing him and smiling against his lips. "Can you get me some of this chocolate sponge cake we had yesterday?"

He chuckled when he heard her request. "Again?"

"The baby's asking, it's not me." She bit her lip to stop herself from grinning.

A laugh escaped him. "Of course."

Knowing he didn't believe her and he was right not to, she was hardly repressing a laugh when she admitted, "Alright, it's me. But let's get one for the baby as well. Bring me two portions."

She didn't take her eyes off him and watched him leave the bed. He put his bathrobe on and she heard him chuckle when he left the room.

When he came back, a tender smile tugged at his lips as he found Emma asleep. She had traded her pillow for his own and looked peaceful. Months earlier, the only way for her to sleep so peacefully, without travelling to Netherworld, would have been to be in Killian's arms. But since they had come back from New York, they had noticed she didn't have these nightmares anymore, even when she was falling asleep alone. They had always assumed that true love being the key to break any curse was the reason why Killian's embrace was able to counter the side effects of the sleeping curse, and thus had come up with the theory that carrying their baby, the product of true love, had the same power as Killian's embrace.

Emma obviously didn't hear him come back and Killian quietly walked to the bed. With a crooked smile on his lips, he playfully waved the plate in front of her. Her mouth quirked at the corners as she breathed in.

"Yum, chocolate," she whispered.

Chuckling, he left the plate close to her and went back to lay behind her.

"You're adorable," he said before kissing her cheek.

"Thank you." She took the plate and shifted to be back against him, but didn't reach his chest and frowned as she looked back at him. "Get back under the quilt. And why are you still wearing this?"

Her imperative tone made him laugh. "Your wish is my command, Captain Swan."

Repressing a smile, she indicated him the cake. "Do you want some?"

"Wow, are you saying you would share your chocolate with me?" he asked while removing his bathrobe. "Consider me flattered."

"You better feel flattered. I usually don't share my chocolate with anyone. But if you're not interested, I might keep it all for myself and the baby."

"Keep it. I actually took three portions, and ate one on the way back here. Now, I'm just wondering," he smirked while getting back under the quilt and shifting closer to her, "What do you choose between chocolate and your devilishly handsome pirate?"

She was eating a piece of cake when he wrapped her in his arms.

"Killian," she tried to stop him.

He chuckled. "I was hoping you'd say that."

"No, I meant…" She trailed off as he tightened his embrace. "I'm choosing to have both."

She turned around and kissed him.

When the chocolate cake caught her interest again, they sat up and settled down comfortably, gathering all the pillows behind them. Killian had an arm around her shoulders and a hand on the baby bump while she was eating, carefully holding the plate to collect the crumbs. She was close to finishing the second portion when she felt it. A muffled sound of surprise escaped her. Her mouth still full, she hurryingly put the plate down on the bedside table.

"Did you feel it?" Killian asked, thrilled. His eyes were sparkling with joy.

Emma nodded and quickly swallowed her mouthful. "You felt it too! That's the first time I feel our baby kick like this!"

"I felt the kick right under my hand."

Beaming, she let her lips crash against Killian's. When she pulled away, she furtively went back to his lips as she spotted a speck of chocolate she had left there.

"Chocolate," she said in response to his inquiring look.

She shifted her attention back to their baby and placed her two hands on the bump. Killian imitated her and softly moved his hands over it, hoping to feel another kick.

"I've just felt another one!" Emma said.

"Where was it?"

"Right here, under my left hand."

"It's not hurting you, right?"

"Not at all," she reassured him.

"Do you think the baby can hear us?"

"I think it can."

Killian moved to be at the level of the baby bump which he was softly holding between his hands. "Ahoy little one! Daddy is very impatient to meet you!"

"So is mum!" she added before watching him with a dreamy look as he kissed the bump.

At this moment, they felt a series of other kicks. Both were over the moon.

"Did you feel that one?" Killian asked.

"I felt another one right here!"

"Look!"

Killian pointed a tiny hand visible at the surface of the bump. He softly pressed a fingertip against it and it disappeared.

"Over here!"

The tiny hand had reappeared and it was Emma's turn to make it disappear. The two of them were ecstatic, watching the bump in search of any move. The tiny hand made its appearance again, and Killian was the one to brush the surface of the bump with his thumb.

"Love, look! It's staying here!" Killian pressed his lips over the hand which still remained there.

"There's the other hand!"

The two tiny hands were visible. Killian kissed the second hand while Emma caressed the first one.

"That's adorable," he commented.

"Yes. We'll need a name for the baby, do you have any idea already?"

"Nope. Do you?"

Emma lightly bit her lip. "I was thinking of Killian Junior."

"Killian Junior?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes. What do you think?"

"I think that…" He trailed off and went to kiss her cheek before whispering in her ear, "The baby is lucky to have a few more months to spend inside you. Time for us to come up with a better name."

"But there's no better name than yours."

He looked at her with a crooked smile and a raised eyebrow. "The baby might be a girl anyway."

"Another kick!"

This was enough to make them forget their conversation about a possible baby's name. Killian went back to the bump and lightly pressed the side of his head against it, his face toward Emma. He took her hand to play with her fingers and placed his other hand on the lower side of the bump. Overwhelmed with tenderness because of their baby, they waited for other kicks but there was none.

"There's a gurgling sound inside," Killian chuckled. He didn't take his eyes off her while listening to her stomach. Caressing the bump, he took her hand to his lips to kiss her knuckles. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Emma was melting at the view. She was gazing at him, at his bright blue eyes and at her fingers against his lips. His head was lying over her so lightly that she was barely feeling its weight. All she could feel was the tickling touch of his hair and stubble, and his caresses on the lower side of her bump. She bit her lip as her thoughts drifted. As usual, they didn't need words: he read her like an open book and a lopsided smile made its way to his lips.

"Start the communion," he said while intertwining his fingers with hers.

Communion was how they had taken to call this connection established between them thanks to her magic. On the first evening that they had spent at the castle after their return from New York, she had managed to share her feelings with him: her flaring hands had been on his arms and it had been enough. Since that day, they had been working on this connection. At first, they had wondered about the nature of what she could share with him: when she had tried to share her thoughts, he had only perceived the feelings associated with these thoughts. Months later, they had yet to find a way to share their thoughts, but feels and feelings could easily be shared. During the first weeks, Killian had been wishing it could be a two-way communication, because he was finding it unfair that she couldn't benefit from these additional feels. One night, while working on it, they had finally found a way to make it reciprocal: the key was to hold hands. At last, Emma had understood what Killian had been talking about when describing the connection; she had discovered what it felt like to get her sensitivity extended not only to her body, but to Killian's as well, as if they were one. Feels and feelings were strongly increased because, beside getting the feels she would normally get, she was also getting his own. They were increased to the point that their next challenge had been to maintain the connection: taken by surprise on the first time when it had worked, Emma had suddenly felt so overwhelmed that she had let go of his hand. Since then, she had improved, but feels still often happened to be strong enough to make her lose control of her magic.

In the next days, the baby's kicks constituted the main attraction. The couple spent time looking for tiny hands and feet at the surface of the bump. Emma also shared this with her son and her parents. They noticed that desserts never failed to trigger a few kicks.

"I remember when I was pregnant," Snow recalled, "It was the same with you."

"Really?" her daughter asked.

"Yes. Every dessert I had was followed by some kicks from you."

"Not even born and already a fan of chocolate," Killian chuckled.

"But it was not only chocolate," Snow added. "David, do you remember that royal ball?"

"How could I forget?"

"Your father and I were about to dance. When the music started, you kicked. I felt you pressing your hands against me, or maybe it was your feet, during the whole dance."

"As if you were listening to the music," Charming added.

"That's why you're a natural," Killian said proudly while tossing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into a hug. "Already dancing before you were even born."

"I wonder if our baby would enjoy the music."

"The equinox ball is coming in just a few weeks," her father reminded her. "It will be the occasion to see if the baby reacts."

"You're here!" Emma said when she found Killian in the library, one afternoon.

"I am!"

Sitting at the desk, he put down the quill and flashed her a smile when he looked up.

"What are you doing?" she inquired.

He quickly rolled up the parchment before standing up and closing the distance between them.

"Nothing interesting. How is my princess?"

"I'm fine." She tried to look at the parchment roll over his shoulder but could see nothing. "What is this?"

"You don't need to know," he answered with a teasing smile.

"Oh, being mysterious I see."

"Perhaps."

Lightly biting her lip, she gazed at him. He had tickled her curiosity and looked proud of it, and looking proud was going with his cocky grin and raised eyebrow which she found irresistible. She needed to shake her head to pull herself together.

"I thought you were with my father?"

"I was. He left not a long time ago. But speaking of him, I have a question for you," he announced while trailing his hands down her arms and intertwining their fingers. "Would you trust me and your father to completely take care of the baby's room?"

Momentarily forgetting the parchment roll, a bright smile lit up her face. "You want to do that?"

"Aye. That's actually what the parchment roll is about. Told you it was not interesting," he said with a smirk when she glanced over his shoulder. "What do you say, love? Would you agree? Knowing that 'completely take care' means that you don't have to worry about it at all. Which means that you're not allowed to see the room until it's ready."

"Not allowed to see the room? Why?"

Again, he looked very proud of himself and she could barely take her eyes off his teasing smile.

"Would you agree?" he repeated.

"Why couldn't I see the room?"

"Because you would think about it and that would be one more worry for you. I don't want that," he answered innocently, as if he had not been teasing her since the beginning of this conversation. "You are already busy enough being our baby's home. Consider this a surprise." The teasing smile made its appearance again. "Now, the question is: do you trust me and your father?"

"Should I?"

"Do you?" he asked with a smirk.

Deciding to play his teasing game, she pretended to think about it while playing with his fingers.

"My father, I do trust. But you, I don't know. Preparing a room is a delicate task." She looked up through her eyelashes. "Should I trust a man who only recently got his hand back, for this?"

"My two hands, as well as every other part of me, are working just fine," he announced while getting closer to her. His voice was just a whisper in her ear when he added, "Perhaps, before you give me your approval, a check-up is needed to support my claim?"

"Exactly what I was about to suggest," she managed to articulate.

"Now?" he murmured in her ear.

She looked at the door and mentally ordered it to close itself before glancing at the couch. "Now."