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Coming out of the shower, Emma finds Killian in bed, spread out like a starfish. Though he looks exhausted, he's obviously trying to stay awake, waiting for her. With a deep sigh and eyes half-closed, Emma plops down on the bed next to her husband.
"Mmm," he says softly and nuzzles close to her.
"You've got to admit," Emma says as she hugs him back, "playing with Hope is a good subtitute for not working out much these days."
He laughs softly at that. "Who knew that sixteen-month-olds could run so fast?"
"And she's so curious. So energetic, she has to pick up and look at everything, she has to say hello to anyone coming in..."
"Good thing she's not shy. The people of Storybrooke would be too overwhelming otherwise."
"Yeah..." Her voice trails off as she rubs soft circles on his back.
"What is it, love?"
She smiles. He always knows when she's thinking of something, even with his eyes closed and his face nuzzling in her neck. "I just... I love her so much."
She feels his smile widen on her skin. "I know. I love her too."
"It makes me so happy to just... hold her and play with her and feed her. Watch her as she learns new things, learns new words, crosses milestones... and it's not that I would love her any less if she wasn't so beautiful, but I can't help thinking she is."
"Aye, she is," he says, and now it's her turn to read something more into his words.
"What?" she says playfully.
He sighs. "You know, every single person has commented on how her hair started taking a reddish hue."
Oh. There it is, she thinks with a smile.
"Some even comment a lot on it," he continues. "How she'll grow up to be a redhead and all..."
"They're not saying it out of spite, you know that."
"Aye, I know." He sighs again. "It's just that... is it bad that I hope that's what her hair colour ends up like?"
"Of course not." She shifts back a little to look at him, bringing her hand up to caress his cheek.
"I know it's silly-"
"It's not. If that's how it ends up like, I'm sure she'll be happy to know she has something straight from her Grandma Alice."
Killian smiles softly, and his eyes take that same glint they take every time he talks about his mother. Finally, he leans in and places a soft kiss on her lips.
It's moments like these, where they're lying together in bed, talking about such simple things, accompanied by casual intimacy that shake her the most. So when Killian breaks the kiss and looks at her, he asks, "What?"
She shakes her head a little, trying to relax the crease in her eyebrows. "I was just thinking... how different this is. Different than what I'd ever imagined, I mean. Having a baby, with my family, and everyone so excited to come and see and play with her..."
"Everyone here is a bit in love with her," he says and huffs a laugh.
"That's not what I meant," she says, shifting back a little to look in his eyes. "Though they are, let's be real. But I meant... we have a family, Killian. We're not alone. We're here, in a home of our own, with each other, with a family to support us... don't you ever feel it's so weird, where we started and where we ended up? Weird in the best way, I mean."
His smile widens. "Aye, love. If you'd asked me just some years ago about that, I would never have imagined anything like this." He takes her hand in his and brings it to his lips, leaving soft kisses on her knuckles. "When you've lost people you loved, it's hard to imagine finding such a peaceful state again."
"And I mean, it's not that we're always laying back, right? There's always a crisis, big or small. But still, having each other..." she just sighs.
"And this Munchkin problem lately has been stealing precious time with our daughter."
"Yeah!"
He snorts playfully. "Sometimes I regret not becoming a stay-at-home-dad."
"And you'll leave me alone with that craziness?" she retorts in an equally playful tone. "No, but seriously, I've seen how willing everyone is to babysit our daughter, but a part of me hates it when I have to leave her."
"I know. Me too." His eyes narrow. "However..."
She snorts. "What?"
"Don't you think she has her favourites among all her babysitters?"
She opens her mouth to speak, but she just frowns slightly instead. "I don't think I've noticed. She seems okay with everyone... unless you mean my parents?"
"With them it's your mother who's the most excited, you know that."
She smiles widely. "Do you have a point?"
He sighs. "He's only babysat her a few times, but, you can't tell me Hope's behaviour with him isn't funny."
She thinks for a moment. "Detective Jones?"
He simply shrugs, smiling.
"Yeah, her reaction has been like any other baby's we've seen on the internet who meets their parent's twin. But... wait, are you jealous?"
He clicks his tongue. "I mean, he does have more experience. He has experience with that age, and with later ages..."
"Well, experience is gained... but are you jealous of that or that she seems to confuse you two?"
"I mean, she's still young. And there are times people on the street confuse us."
"If you both bothered to use different colours to wear, it'd be easier not to."
He snorts. "I think we've reached a silent agreement that no-one is gonna give up black so easily."
"Hey. I know he doesn't mind spending time with her, but you know she's not more than a niece or something to him. He has his own daughter, it's not like he's trying to steal Hope from you."
"Aye. It's not him I'm worried about."
She suddenly realizes where he's going with it. "Oh, baby. Hope loves you, you know that," she says, but she knows it's not as easy as that to calm the fears of someone who was abandoned by his own father. She looks deep into his eyes. "As you said, she's still young. But she's not stupid. She picks up on the differences between you two, even if she doesn't show it much yet. Besides, she's half her 'Mama'," she says and smiles. "She'll always know to choose you."
That brings a wide smile on his lips. "I can't counter that."
She moves forward and envelops his lips in a slow and intimate kiss. "You could say our family is a bit unconventional," she says.
"I wouldn't change it for the world, love."
"Me neither."
She snuggles closer to him, and with beautiful thoughts of their amazing daughter, she drifts into sleep.