lost in translation

Emma and Henry like to eat at Granny's diner, and so Hook has taken to joining them for many a meal. It is nice to find an establishment that seems friendly towards him and is not a tavern, brothel, or gambling den, and he knows that he is growing on Granny slowly but surely (he is fairly certain that assisting with the incident last week with an intoxicated dwarf has slightly endeared him to her).

He does not know what they are – Emma and himself – because she does not define it and so he leaves it ambiguous as well. They are more than friends and most definitely lovers, but he does not sleep in her bed save for when her lad is not around, nor does he ask. Their relationship is fragile because in spite of her protestations, Emma is fragile herself and so he does not push, nor rush, nor ask for more than is given.

That morning, she and her son enter and join Killian in the booth in the back, like they have taken to doing. The lad seems to be in an excitable mood today, enthusiastically sliding into the seat across from Killian while Emma stops to chat with Granny at the counter.

"Good morning, young sir," Killian says with a slight nod of his head, and Henry smiles (he is growing on the boy too, he knows).

"So," he asks, "what are you doing for my mom for Valentine's day?"

Killian frowns, unsure of what gibberish the boy is speaking (there are many things in this realm that he doesn't understand, the vernacular being the most vexing). "I don't catch your meaning."

"Valentine's day is next week, and that's when you do something for the person you love. It's a tradition here, and I thought since you and my mom were dating that you would be doing something for her." Henry roots around in his sack and pulls out a piece of paper just as Ruby comes to refill the coffee Killian has been sipping. Henry pushes it across the table. "I wrote down some ideas for you."

Killian takes the paper, trying too hard not to think about the way that Henry just declared his relationship with Emma so casually, and skims the suggestions. Some are ideas that Killian is familiar (write a sonnet, compose a song, flowers and wooing) and others are a bit odd (what exactly is a hot air balloon?) and there is one –

He spits out his coffee and looks up in horror at Henry. The suggestion is both ridiculous and wrong – how can the child write that? Does he kiss his mother with such a foul mouth? It's not that he hasn't contemplated the sort of sort of thing, hasn't been brave enough to attempt it because he hasn't spent a morning with Emma yet, but…

Emma slides into the booth next to him, nudges him with her shoulder. "Hey," she asks, a look of concern crossing her face. "What's wrong?"

"Emma," Killian starts, shaking his head. He glances at the lad (he looks confused) and back at Emma, who is glancing down the list of suggestions and sees the one that Killian is pointing to. "This is…"

Inappropriate for a child to suggest?

Something he really would like to engage in?

Wrong, on so many levels, to speak of in such a fine establishment with such excellent coffee?

Emma looks at his finger, reads the words, and then looks up at him. Something crosses her face – confusion?understanding? something else? – before she smiles easily. "That's when you make food and bring it to your significant other in bed."

"What did you think it was?" Henry asks, and Emma smirks at Killian, who feels as if he just burning up with embarrassment.

"Aren't you late for school?" Emma asks, standing up and ushering a protesting Henry out of Granny's with a banana and a muffin ("what did he think it was?") before returning to Killian's booth. She slides next to him, and raises her eyebrows.

"The king of innuendos…" she says. "You seem awful flustered."

Killian coughs, shifts in the seat, determines what his next move might be. He decides to act on it so he wraps his arm around her and pulls her close.

"I think you would have liked my interpretation better than this suggestions," he whispers into her ear, lingering a moment too long before pulling away (he can feel the shiver go through her body and feels her hand come to rest on his thigh.

"I'll pretend to be surprised," she tells him, voice barely above a purr.

(She does.)