Henry has a baloney sandwich. Where he's gotten it from, Emma isn't entirely sure because she hasn't been a fan of the meat since it was her only option in some of her homes. But it's on his plate anyway and her son is scarfing it down like it's ambrosia. The familiar turn of phrase doesn't sting like she thought it would. Not anymore.
She's distracted by the sun shining across the table, marveling at it for a second. She takes these moments now, where she just appreciates everything that she has around her.
And then she notices Pirate.
He's been napping on a particularly sunny spot on the floor, slowly inching himself across the tile as the sun moves. She grins at the tiny creature, still thankful for whatever stroke of luck brought him to their door.
His nose is twitching in his sleep.
And then he's wide awake and bounding up onto the table to sit at Henry's hand.
The kitten moves so fast that Emma isn't entirely sure there wasn't any magic involved.
Henry barely notices, writing in the book and doing his best to inhale the lunchmeat and bread. But Emma watches closely; Pirate is a notorious food thief. It's how he got his name, after all.
And sure enough, the little scoundrel starts nosing the bread away, taking off like a shot with a slice of baloney dragging behind him like a flag.
The meat is gone before Henry can even voice his protest.
And that's the start of it. Emma picks up a pound of the lunchmeat from the deli every Monday on her way home from work. Between her growing son and the things she can get Pirate to do for little bits of the meat, she can barely keep up.
It's Henry that teaches Pirate that jumping from the floor onto the counter in one leap will get him a piece of his favorite new treat. It's Emma who discovers that her kitten will climb his way on top of the refrigerator and won't come down until baloney shows up in his bowl. It's David who figures out how to get Pirate to spin in mid-leap, catching the thrown piece of meat in his mouth on the way down.
Somehow, Killian is oblivious.
She knows he likes Pirate - no matter how much he protests otherwise. He still refuses to call the kitten anything but "Cat", but she's wearing him down. She's seen him with Pirate, absently stroking the soft black fur as he reads or allowing the kitten to rest on his shoulder as he searches the horizon with the telescope in their home.
Emma is pretty sure they're becoming fast friends.
David has been spending more time at their home, acclimating Neal to the idea of a cat in hopes he can convince Mary Margaret that he...or rather his son needs a pet. He's showing the baby Pirate's new trick, and casually mentions that she's running low on baloney.
It's Wednesday.
Killian is down by the docks when she texts him a list of things to pick up from the grocery store on his way home. She doesn't think twice about it and goes back to reading, absently listening to Pirate's plaintive cries when David doesn't provide the next piece of baloney quickly enough.
It crosses her mind briefly that her cat is a bit spoiled.
She doesn't think much of her request until Killian comes in the door, laden down with bags and such a hangdog expression that makes her wonder if the Jolly sank overnight. She drops the book without marking her page and hurries after him into the kitchen.
"Killian? What's wrong?" Her heart is in her throat.
He looks at her briefly before dropping his head, concentrating on placing each item in the fridge just right. Emma approaches slowly, unsure of what's going on, and drops her hand lightly onto his back.
"Killian?"
He looks up at her, then, scratching behind his ear and searching her gaze. For what, Emma isn't entirely sure.
"Emma, luv, have I done something to offend you?" His tone is guarded, but apologetic.
She's confused. They had parted on amicable terms this morning, and even her text asking him to stop at the store wasn't out of the ordinary. Where on earth had he gotten the idea she was upset with him?
"Of course not. Where would you get an idea like that?" Killian had come back to her against all odds, there wasn't much he could do at the moment that would upset her now.
He held up the package of baloney from the deli. He didn't say anything else, just moved his gaze from Pirate's treat to her and back again.
"I assumed this was to be my penance for whatever I've done. I thought the last time I would see this...food would have been that barbaric brig in New York." He's pouting now, and Emma can't help it.
She bursts out laughing.
Killian looks shocked at her outburst, but then resigned to his fate. He rips the sticker with his hook and teases open the package. There is a minute tremor in his fingers as he pulls out a slice of baloney and stares at it. "Whatever it is, luv, I'm sorry."
She's still staring at him, speechless, as he lifts the entire slice, tips back his head and dangles the meat above his mouth.
"Killian." She stops him, taking the meat from his hand and starting to tear it up into small pieces.
"I'd rather just get it over with all at once, Swan." He's eyeing the growing pile of pink cold cut with something approaching horror.
It's at this point that Pirate abandons David and Neal, streaks into the kitchen, and leaps onto the counter. He's sitting impatiently at Emma's side, mewing desperately like he hasn't been fed since before he found his way into their home and her heart.
"The baloney is for Pirate. Not for you." She's grinning as Killian watches the kitten snatch thrown bits of meat, and his expression is one of shocked confusion.
"You mean I just went out of my way to purchase that awful excuse for food simply for the pest control?" Killian's voice is a bit high-pitched and an unlikely cross between unequivocally relieved and utterly offended.
Emma smirks at him. "Keep calling him that and I might just change my mind about feeding it to you."
"Well, you could, I suppose. But I'm not entirely sure Zeus will send me back again if you do."