14. surprise!

Prompt: ''Hey, have you seen the...? Oh.'' & ''I got you a present.''

A/N: Future fluffy fluff.

The unexpected noise of the front door slamming shut startled Killian, interrupting him from focusing on the beautiful view of the sea that he could study carefully through the telescope in their living room.

''Killian?'' Her voice was always a welcome sound after she'd been at work all day. Even with no real villains wreaking havoc in town, there was somehow always something happening in the small town that required a sheriff to step in. He reckoned it really was cursed in a way.

''Aye, love?'' he huffed (how many times had he already asked her to close the door in a less destructive manner?). He abandoned his spot near the window to turn to her. He was slightly caught off guard by the speed at which she approached him, but didn't hesitate to return the sweet 'I'm home'' kiss.

He didn't even get the chance to ask her what had prompted her unusual haste.

''I think today should be your birthday.'' Emma's face was glowing with excitement, a smile from ear to ear and a childlike expression on her features.

She raised a valid point they hadn't spoken about in a little while. It had been decades since Killian had forgotten the date of his birth. Centuries of sailing the seas with nothing but revenge on your mind will do that to a person. The gap in his memory was now a stinging reminder of those lonely days.

''I- Uh... Well, I'm not one to deny you your wishes, but why exactly today?'' He looked at her with intrigued curiosity in his eyes. ''Is there something special about this date?''

''No, it's just,'' she started, stroking her thumbs over his hook and hand in a gesture that she had found to be comforting for the both of them. ''I got you a present. And what better time to give it than on your birthday?''

Truthfully, he was taken by surprise by her words. First of all, because Emma had always been more of a woman of action. Most of the time, she much preferred doing an activity with those she loved instead of showering them with gifts. Every now and then even Henry had a tough time convincing her to buy him some ice cream. And that was saying something.

Secondly, he was not at all used to receiving presents. His mind went immediately to Liam, who'd been known to work miracles when it came to Killian's birthday. Somehow his brother had always managed to find some food for him on this day, most likely acquired through illegal and dangerous means. After all, a couple of boys in servitude didn't exactly have the money for... anything, really. Least of all birthday presents.

Emma gently squeezed his hand, seemingly perfectly understanding what was going through his mind. It brought him back to the moment, and he gulped slightly before looking down with a short chuckle. ''Fair enough.''

She gave him one more tight-lipped smile before turning her head slightly, making sure to still keep her eyes on him as much as possible. Killian wondered what exactly it was that she was doing, but luckily it didn't take long for the answer to arrive.

''Henry, you can come in now!'' she shouted in the general direction of the door, which opened within a fraction of a second, revealing the lad as well as...

''A puppy?''

His astonishment made Emma giggle as she released his hand, stepping out of the way as to avoid getting run over by the overexcited little thing. That fate was solely reserved for Killian. Henry knelt down on the floor to snap the leash off the collar, which allowed the mutt to run straight into Killian's arms, with quite an impressive leap and an utter lack of any fear of falling.

Booming laughter filled the house as he got down to the eye-level of his new playmate. Both he and Henry started petting him, rubbing their hands over the short fuzzy coat. The happiness he felt was reflected in the shining brown eyes of the puppy.

''We should call him Spot!'' Henry beamed with delight over his clearly brilliant idea.

''No, we should not.'' Emma scoffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

''Why not, Swan? I'd say it's a perfectly fitting name.'' Killian countered, referring to the black and brown spots on the dog's grayish fur.

''We are not naming him Spot.'' she said it like it was the most obvious statement in the world. It sounded like all of her stubbornness somehow crammed into that one sentence. ''There are limits to how ridiculous I'll let this household be. I think a centuries-old pirate is more than enough.''

With that (and a barely suppressed smile), she turned around, heading for the kitchen. Killian watched her go with an enormous grin, but he was soon distracted by the puppy and his attempts to lick every inch of his face.

—

It was late.

The three of them had already stuffed themselves with a damn impressive lasagna, if she said so herself. Granny's recipe, but still, she was allowed to be proud, right?

Henry was sleeping at Regina's tonight, so she and Killian had the house for themselves. With the newest addition to the family, of course.

Emma finished putting a generous amount of dog food in a bowl, hoping she'd followed the instructions on the bag correctly. It was only when she lifted it off the counter and looked around the kitchen and the living room that she realized she actually had no idea where the puppy was.

Jogging up the stairs, she walked towards the bedroom, where she though Killian might be. Surely he'd know.

''Hey, have you seen the...?'' she stopped mid-sentence, standing still in the opening with the door already half pushed open. ''Oh.''

Killian was sprawled out on the bed, an arm and a leg dangling limply from the side. On his chest lay the puppy, half asleep and contently gnawing on the detached hook, gently rising up and down with every breath Killian took. Clearly they were both exhausted after hours of chasing each other around the house.

Emma couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle, enamored with the sweet display. She simply couldn't find it in herself to wake them, but taking a picture of the monumental scene was something she was more than happy to do.

—

They ended up naming him Spot.