AN: Just something quick and fluffy, because I needed a destraction from studying. (Not sure how much I like this one, but hopefully you enjoy it?)
"So." Mary Margaret said, taking a seat at their kitchen table. The loft was unusually quiet, with David at the station and Henry having already left for school. Emma, sitting across from her, looked up from her plate. Snow bounced Neal gently, appraising her other child. "How's Killian?"
Emma took a sip of her coffee, raising her eyebrows over the lid of the mug. Placing it back on the table, she looked suspiciously at her mother, whom looked just a little too nonchalant. "He's fine," Emma replied slowly, wondering what angle Snow was playing.
"Oh, don't give me that look." Her mother defended, shifting Neal in her arms. "Can't I ask about my daughter's boyfriend without having some ulterior motive?"
Emma scoffed at the label, not being able to picture Captain Hook as anyone's boyfriend. "Killian isn't my boyfriend, for starters. And sure you can ask about him, but my superpower tells me there's definitely an ulterior motive."
Mary Margaret looked affronted. "Emma, you really should learn to believe in others from time to time." Emma gave her mother a look to show she wasn't buying it, and Snow relented. "I want to know how things are going between you two. Is that such a crime?"
Emma sighed. Her parents, particularly Mary Margaret, had been going overboard lately to show just how, well, parental they could be. She didn't usually mind (even enjoying it, a little), but lately, between crashing her dates and grilling her about Killian, they were getting a little unbearable.
And she understood, she really did. Emma knew first hand that when you miss the better part of your kid's life, you want to make up for all that lost time. Often she would play the part to appease Mary Margaret and David (and fine, herself). But Emma Swan couldn't pretend to be some lovestruck teenager, even for her mother's benefit.
"Things are fine." Emma assured, giving her mother a sarcastic smile before returning to her breakfast. Snow frowned, seeking more information.
"That's it?" she demanded. Seeing Emma's look, Snow sighed. "Come on, Emma! I missed so much of you growing up. I never got to send you to a ball, or even watch you go to prom. I've never seen you even interested in dating, and now you have a pirate who's in love with you-" she caught Emma's alarmed look, quickly regretting her word choice"-and all you can say is 'things are fine'?"
"Well," Emma sputtered, placing her fork down with a clatter, "What do you want me to say?" She immediately wished she hadn't asked, seeing the spark that lit Mary Margaret's eyes. Let the Spanish inquisition begin, Emma thought sardonically.
"Have you two...you know?" Snow asked conspiratorially, covering Neal's ears as if the mere implication of sex was something that would traumatize her precious baby boy.
Emma choked on her next sip of coffee. "Okay, no." she said adamantly. "I know we talked about that stuff before the curse broke, but now, knowing you're my mom..." She shook her head, horrified. She could only imagine what David would say if he were there. "No. If you want me to talk about Killian, we're not discussing that aspect of him."
Snow pouted at her bubble being burst. "Fine. Then at least tell me..." She was thoughtful for a moment. "Tell me how he makes you feel."
Emma gave her a disbelieving look. "How he makes me feel?" she deadpanned, wishing a hole would open up in the floor. Her mother sure knew how to word things in the most uncomfortable ways possible. But Mary Margaret just nodded, giving an encouraging smile. After a brief stare down, resigned to this change of conversation, Emma considered the question. "He makes me feel like..." She glanced around, unsure how to vocalize her thoughts, cursing Killian and his way with words. "Like I do when using my magic. Sort of...floaty." Emma admitted lamely, feeling her face heat up under her mother's attentive gaze. "And...safe. You know, happy and stuff. Like all the years I spent running were a waste of time- or that all along, I was really just running towards him."
She stopped short, surprised by her own honesty. Emma hadn't realized she'd felt that way before saying it aloud, and was mortified to have made the discovery with her mother listening intently.
"Oh, Emma." Snow said affectionately. It was a rare, amazing moment to see; the cool, calm side of her daughter giving way to the sincere, heartfelt side. It occurred to Mary Maragret that she was seeing her daughter in love. (Her sweet, wonderful, stubborn daughter). "What else?" she pressed, smiling. "What do see in him?"
Her words held no hint of judgement or contempt, but Emma still eyed her mother skeptically. Seeing nothing but genuine curiousity in Snow's expression, Emma continued. "I guess...He's clever, and he's handsome. He's a gentlemen, if you can believe it," Emma snorted, amused at her remark,"And he's charming, I'm sure you can understand the appeal of that."
Mary Margaret grinned at the tease, but refused to be deterred. She gave Emma a pointed look, insisting she go on. With a sigh, Emma did, wracking her brain as she pictured Killian, smiling and idiotic and sarcastic. "And...he cares about me- and about Henry, and you and David...a lot. We have chemistry, or a connection, whatever you want to call it."
Snow could see that there was more, something Emma was afraid to say. Something she probably had yet to even admit to herself, Mary Margaret realized. She felt rather endeared to her daughter -her flight risk of a child- knowing that Emma was terrified. And here Snow thought that she'd always be the one afraid of her daughter's love for the pirate.
"What is it?"
Emma glanced at Mary Maragret, a vague smiling lifting the corners of her mouth. "It's probably stupid," Emma warned, talking over Snow's protest of nothing you say about this could be stupid, "But, I was thinking and..." Emma half scoffed at herself, still embarrassed but needing to say this, if not for herself than for him. "Do you want to hear how I really know I like Killian?"
Snow nodded eagerly, choosing not to comment on Emma's word choice. Like, she thought amused, as though Emma and Hook were two middle schoolers afraid to admit their crushes. Emma stared down at her coffee, not wanting to meet Snow's eyes for fear of losing her nerve.
"For the first time in my life, I'm not waiting for the other shoe to drop."