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Emma Swan is not a cook. She will never be the housewife to stand in the kitchen in her apron, making pancakes for her husband. Not without burning down the house at least. She's had a few foster parents try to teach her and she knows survival recipes, like ramen or mac and cheese. But mostly, she's the microwave or takeout girl.
Luckily for her, Neal gets that. His favorite foods aren't handmade.
The first thing she steals for them is a half a dozen bagels, a tub of cream cheese and a carton of plastic knives from a grocery store. It's not long after they meet and she wants to do something nice. She can't make him breakfast in bed, but she'll do it in the backseat of their bug.
He grins that puppy like smile when she presents her heist and accepts them gingerly. He takes apart the bagel, eating them one side at a time with the cream cheese spread on. Emma copies him.
"Bagels are my favorite," he says.
"I thought jelly donuts were your favorite," she says, wiping away some cream cheese from his lip with her thumb.
"They're my favorite donuts, but bagels are the best breakfast, lunch or dinner."
Bagels are what Tamara brings when she shows up in Storybrooke. Emma sticks around against her better judgement to take in her replacement. She used to get the bagels and now she just eats them. These are from New York and a million times better, not that she'd ever admit it. This time, Tamara is wiping Neal's mouth and smiling at him like an idiot.
Emma leaves before she finishes her own. Suddenly, she's no longer hungry. For a good year, she can't stomach the carb loaded breakfast pastry.
Then Tamara is gone, both Neal and Rumpelstiltskin are saved from Zelena. She finally takes Neal up on that date. They don't go to Granny's but also avoid breaking into any carnivals. This time, they have a beach picnic with glasses of wine.
Emma ends up back at his apartment. They make love for the first time in over 12 years. Come morning, she's both exhilarated and starved.
When she returns from Granny's, Emma has a box of bagels and various smear. There's two coffees as well. She arranges them on a tray, cutting them just how Neal likes them.
"Breakfast in bed," she announces. He gives her that same smile and presses kisses all over her face. "Don't be too thankful, they're just Granny's. Not as great as New York."
"Eh, New York doesn't have all the good stuff."
Two years later at their late morning beach wedding, they decide on a brunch menu. Eggs, bacon, sausage, lots of coffee and hot chocolate.
Bagels are the star of the show. They sit in towers on the linen table cloths. David toasts with a poppy seed one rather than his mimosa.
"To Bagelfire and Emma," he teases.
Neal lets of a huge belly laugh and Emma leans into him. It'll be a nickname to stick for years to come. After all, there could be worse ones.