Emma Swan was never someone who thought she needed grand romantic gestures. The closest she ever came to experiencing one was when Neal broke into an amusement park so they could sit on the swings and talk.

Then she fell in love with Killian Jones, the King of Grand Romantic Gestures. From the moment she met him, he did things for her that made her heart swoop, regardless of how much she tried to ignore that feeling. Bandaging her hand when she cut it climbing up the beanstalk, helping on the mission to rescue Henry in Neverland, trading his ship for a magic bean to find her in New York, following her into the portal to the past, rescuing her from the ice cave…the list was nearly endless.

Now that they were married and Storybrooke was somewhat calm on a regular basis, the opportunities for grand gestures were few, but that didn't deter her old-fashioned pirate. Hardly a day went by that she didn't find some small token, or notice a sweet, loving act he did for her. She was sure she married the most romantic man on the face of the earth.

She had a drawerful of little notes he left around the house, in her car or on her desk at the sheriff's office. All of them were written in his looping script with a black fountain pen. Most were as simple as 'I love you' or 'Thinking of you', but sometimes he wrote a whole page of verse extolling her virtues and beauty. Every time she found one, she would read it numerous times throughout the day, before adding it to her growing collection.

He must have made a deal with the florist, Moe French, because not a week went by that he didn't present her with a perfect red rose, just as he did on their first date. And those weren't the only flowers she received from him. On several occasions, when she was irritable due to the gray, rainy weather, she would find a small bouquet of yellow flowers on her desk, which never failed to lift her mood.

Today was one of those days. As she sat in front of her ancient computer at the sheriff's station, waiting for surveillance footage from the drugstore to load, she lightly traced the silky soft petals of yellow roses in a small glass vase, a smile playing on her lips.

"Hello, Love."

Even after all this time, Killian's voice never failed to make her heart flutter. She looked up to see him leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest as he shot her one of his brightest smiles. "Hey," she breathed. "Thank you for the flowers."

He strode over and bent down to give her a kiss. "I thought they would brighten your day. You seemed a bit vexed this morning."

"Grumpy might be a better word for it," she conceded.

"Alas, no. I would never place you in the same category as the surly dwarf."

Laughing, she asked, "Is that a new shirt, Babe? I don't think I've ever seen you wear that color before."

He scanned the sleeves of his shirt, a Granny Smith apple shade of green. "Aye, it is. I saw it in the shop window and it reminded me of the color of your eyes."

Emma wondered if the cleaning lady would be able to mop up the melted puddle she became at his explanation.

xxxxxxxxx

After being asked by Mary Margaret and David to watch baby Neal so they could have a date night, Killian came up with the idea of having one for him and Emma every month. They looked forward to going out, usually to dinner and a movie. He still watched the giant screen with the wide-eyed excitement of a child, regardless of whether or not the film was good.

Their next date was planned for the evening after he showed up at the office in his green shirt. He requested that she wear something dressier than her usual jeans and sweater, which made her curious. As she descended the stairs in a red dress, he met her at the bottom with his hand held behind his back.

Presenting her with a red rose, he said, "You look stunning, Swan."

It was so reminiscent of their first date, she felt her eyes growing misty. Accepting the rose, she brought it to her nose. "Thank you. You cleaned up pretty well, too."

He grinned and went to the hall closet to retrieve their coats, while she filled a vase with water for the rose. Sliding her arms into the coat he was holding up for her, she asked, "Where are we going tonight that requires us to dress up?"

"First, to dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant," he replied, pulling his black leather car coat on over his dark blue shirt and waistcoat, "and then dancing."

"Dancing?" she questioned.

"Aye," he said, guiding her to the door with his hand on the small of her back. "I recently discovered that the room above the bakery offers ballroom dancing on the first Thursday of the month, so I planned this date to coincide with it."

"You know I'm not that great at dancing, even though I did pick a partner who knows what he's doing," she smirked at him over her shoulder.

"You're better than you think you are," he assured her. "And perhaps I would just like an excuse to hold my beautiful wife close."

She slid into the passenger seat of their SUV, a recent purchase Killian made after obtaining his driver's license. Once he closed her door, then walked around the car to settle behind the wheel, Emma commented, "You don't need an excuse to do that, you know. You can hold me close anytime you want."

"Not anytime I want, because then I would never let you go," he said, his eyebrows moving flirtatiously. "This gives me a chance to have you in my arms all evening while we're out in public. But if you truly don't want to…"

"I didn't say that. I think it will be fun! The last time we danced was at our wedding, unless you count all the times we've swayed together in the kitchen."

Steering with his hook on the specially made steering wheel, he reached over to give her hand a squeeze. "I count every time, Darling."

After eating at the restaurant where they had their first date, they headed to the dance studio. Only three other couples were there, so there was plenty of room to move about the floor. Emma loved the feeling of being guided by Killian's strong arm around her back, while she held onto his hook.

At one point, she went to the restroom, and came back to see him chatting with the man who was selecting the music to play. She rejoined him and heard the first notes of 'I Can't Help Falling in Love With You' beginning to play. Pulling her close, he crooned the words into her ear.

"Like a river flows, surely to the sea,

Darling so it goes, some things are meant to be.

Take my hand, take my whole life, too.

For I can't help falling in love with you."

"Did you request that song?" she asked, once it ended.

"Aye. It seems to be one of your favorites when we listen to your playlist."

"I didn't realize you knew all of the lyrics."

"Well, they describe the way I feel about you very accurately."

"And they talk about the sea," she said, smiling slyly.

"Aye, that too," he agreed with a chuckle.

They were the only couple left when the music was shut down at eleven o'clock. Once they got home, Killian massaged Emma's aching feet, while she assured him it was definitely worth it. Then they went to bed to complete their perfect date night wrapped up in each other.

xxxxxxxxx

Killian had a knack for anticipating his wife's moods, so when Henry left to go to Writer's Camp for a week during his Fall break, he was aware how melancholy she would become after seeing her son off. When she returned from the bus station, she called out, "I'm home," and tossed her keys on the kitchen table. Entering the living room, she saw a fire crackling in the fireplace and piles of pillows on the floor, with plates of food in the middle of them.

Her husband crossed the room as her wide eyes scanned the sight in front of her. "What's all this?" she questioned.

"I thought it would be nice to have a picnic," he explained, taking her hand to lead her further into the room. "And since it looks like it's going to rain, I decided to have it indoors."

She flung her arms around his neck, drawing him down for a kiss. "You always know just what I need," she murmured against his lips.

"That's because you're my True Love, Swan."

"And because I'm somewhat of an open book to you. At least, that's what you've told me on numerous occasions."

"That too," he smiled, then lowered himself to the floor and tugged her down beside him. They enjoyed a simple meal, then took advantage of having the house to themselves without fear of a teenager walking in on them…or her mother, who had learned a lesson about coming over uninvited.

xxxxxxxxx

One morning, Emma was listening to a Disney playlist on Spotify while she cleaned the kitchen. Killian had gone down to the docks to check on the Jolly Roger after breakfast and Henry was at Grace's house working on a school project.

The song 'That's How You Know' from the movie Enchanted began to play, and the longer she listened, the more miffed she became. Nearly everything mentioned in the song was something Killian had done for her:

Leave a little note to tell you, you are on his mind

Send you yellow flowers when the sky is gray

Take you out dancing just so he can hold you close

Dedicate a song with words meant just for you

Wear your favorite color just so he can match your eyes

Rent a private picnic by the fire's glow

By the time the song ended, Emma was in a state of confusion and disappointment. She thought he did all those things because he was being romantic. She didn't realize he was following the instructions from a song.

She was still processing her discovery, when she heard the front door open and Killian's boots in the entryway. He entered the kitchen and smiled, but seeing her expression, a puzzled look came over his face. "Something wrong, Love?" he asked.

"It's because of that damn song, isn't it?" she said, hurt and accusation evident in her tone.

His forehead furrowed in confusion. "Song? What song? What are you talking about?"

"All those sweet, romantic things you do for me! You heard them in that song from Enchanted, didn't you?"

Killian's mouth opened and closed several times, before he finally managed to say, "I…I truly don't know what you're talking about, Emma. What is Enchanted?"

"It's a Disney movie and the song spells out all the things someone should do to show they love a person. You've done every single one of them! Sending me yellow flowers, leaving little notes for me, taking me dancing, even having a picnic beside the fire. You've done them all!"

His shoulders slumped as his eyes searched her face, which was full of disappointment. "I do those things because I love you, not because some silly song tells me to do them. I promise you, Love, I've never even heard that song."

She studied him, looking deeply into his eyes to use her super power. All she saw reflected back at her was absolute honesty. Her anger melted away instantly. "You really haven't, have you? I'm so sorry, Killian. I should have known you don't need a song to teach you how to be romantic."

"All is forgiven, Swan," he said, moving to wrap her up in his arms.

She couldn't help but feel foolish about the way she jumped to the wrong conclusion. Still, it was uncanny how many of his actions closely followed those detailed in the song. "Killian, may I ask you something?" she murmured into his chest.

"Mmhmm," he hummed.

"Why do you send me yellow flowers when you know I'm in a bad mood?"

"Because that color just seems to make everything brighter. Like the sunshine and your hair, not to mention your yellow contraption. When I see it coming down the street, it always makes me smile."

That made sense. "What about the picnic by the fire? Why did you decide to do that?"

"You lamented the week before that soon it was going to be too cold to have picnics on the Jolly, and I know how you love the first fire of Autumn, so I thought if I combined the two, it would lift your spirits when Henry left."

"It did, and what we did afterwards lifted them even more," she said with a coy smile.

His brow arched high and he returned her smile with a sly one of his own. "Was that particular form of expressing my love mentioned in the song, too?"

"No," she giggled. "I don't think that would go over very well in a Disney movie."

"Shame, that," he said, nuzzling behind her ear, "since it's my favorite way to let you know how much I love you."

"Oh, really?" she said, trying to keep from gasping as his tongue traced the shell of her ear. "I kinda prefer you bringing me a bear claw and hot chocolate, or grilled cheese with onion rings."

He stopped his caresses and stepped back. "In that case, I suppose I should make a trip to Granny's to appease your appetite."

Her hand shot out to grab his belt, pulling him flush against her again. "Oh, no you don't, Pirate. It's gonna take some pillaging and plundering to appease the appetite I have right now."

His grin was salacious as he lowered his head to possess her lips.

xxxxxxxxx

They lay tangled in the bedding afterwards, Emma repeatedly lacing and unlacing their fingers. Killian recognized this as a sign that she was contemplating something, and remained silent to give her a few minutes to gather her thoughts. When the moments continued to stretch on and her eyes remained focused on the movement of their hands, he asked quietly, "Something on your mind, Love?"

She hummed thoughtfully. "I just…I…" She pushed up onto her elbow and looked into his face, her fingers moving to brush unruly strands of hair off his forehead. "You do so many romantic gestures for me, and I don't do anything for you."

"Swan," he said, his brow furrowing, "you show your love for me in many ways."

"Name one," she challenged. "Besides sex," she added quickly.

He chuckled. "You help me work on the Jolly, warm up my vehicle on cold mornings, make my coffee just the way I like it while I'm in the shower, explain things I don't understand in movies, cover me with a blanket when I fall asleep on the sofa…"

"Those are just little things."

"They mean a lot to me, because you pay attention to what I like and what will make me happy. They're all tokens of your love."

"None of them are grand gestures, though."

"You brought me back from the Underworld, married me and made me part of your family. I consider those huge gestures."

"Yeah, I suppose so," she conceded, laying her head back down on his chest.

He could tell she wasn't convinced by his answer. Pressing his lips against the crown of her head, he murmured, "I love you, Emma, and I know you love me. I don't need grand gestures, as long as I can fall asleep every night with you in my arms and wake up beside you every morning."

"I do love you, Killian, and nothing will ever change that," she promised.

xxxxxxxxx

Life in the Swan-Jones household moved on. Henry graduated high school and set off on his own adventure. Emma and Killian were sad to see him go, but knew he was ready to write the next chapter of his story.

They remained just as much in love with each other as they were on the day of their wedding, if not more. Emma still enjoyed Killian's little reminders of his love for her, and continued doing sweet things for him, too.

She rarely got sick, but when she did, Killian fussed over her and took care of her every need. Most of the time, she bounced back quickly, but several months after Henry's departure, she had a stomach bug that lingered for over two weeks. Just when she thought she was over it, she would be sick again the next morning.

Killian was very concerned and insisted on her going to the doctor, but she kept waiting for it to pass on its own. Then one day, her mother showed up with a paper bag from the drugstore and a knowing gleam in her eye.

That afternoon, when Killian arrived home from his shift at the sheriff's station, she met him at the door. "I think I have the best grand romantic gesture of all for you, Babe," she beamed.

"Do you, indeed?" he asked, happy to see her feeling better as he took her in his arms.

"Mmhmm. You're always proving to me how much you love me, and now I want to show you proof of my love for you."

"You know you don't have to do that, Love."

"I really do," she giggled, then handed him a small plastic stick.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Look at it."

Giving her one more inquisitive look, he did as he was told. His eyes widened and he mouthed the word he saw displayed there. She waited with bated breath for his response, and after another second or two, his eyes shot up to hers. "Does this mean…"

"I'm pregnant, Killian. We're going to have a baby!"

Her breath was stolen away as he pulled her into a tight embrace, kissing her with abandon. Moments later, their foreheads resting against each other's, she asked, "Are you happy?"

"Ecstatic, Swan! I've never been happier to say you bested me, because this is better than any romantic gesture I could ever do for you!"

"Well, to be fair, you did have something to do with it," she laughed joyfully. "And it really isn't a competition. I never have to wonder if you love me, since you show me that you do every day."

He placed his hand on her flat belly. "Now, we've created a precious little one. I bet that song didn't mention doing that, did it?"

She giggled again, excitement and happiness bubbling up inside of her. She couldn't help but shake her head at her foolishness, thinking he got his ideas from a Disney song. Killian was over three hundred years old, after all. It was entirely possible he was the inventor of grand romantic gestures.

As he wrapped his arms around her and pressed a kiss to her temple, she sighed in contentment. He was definitely the most romantic man on Earth, and she was the luckiest woman alive to have him as her husband, Henry's dad…and now the father of their child. The thought made her smile, happier than she had ever been in her entire life.

xxxxxxxxx