"What's the tradition love?" Killian asked looking at the little twigs hanging above the door of their home.
"You kiss the person who happens to stand under the mistletoe with you" Emma replied. They both stood under the door where it was hanging.
"That's preposterous, why would you need a bush to kiss the person you want?" He raised one of his eyebrows in questioning. Emma huffed a bit and chuckled. She leaned in and gave him a peck on the lips. He leaned forward just as she pulled back, and he stumbled a bit.
"Babe, can you help me with cranberry sauce? I'll do the pie. The ham is already in the oven" Emma stood in the kitchen now wearing her chef apron which her mother had given her for her birthday. Snow thought it would be lovely to create little moments with her daughter, where she taught Emma everything she knew about baking and cooking, now that Emma had her own kitchen. To say the least, it wasn't always a success.
Killian loved the sigh of seeing his love attempt to impress her mother with this Christmas dinner party. She hadn't told him, but he knew she wasn't typically the one to make sure her pillows were fluffed and that the food was perfect. Many times had he received burnt potatoes on his plate, which he gulped down without a complaint and bringing her lots of compliments. He shook himself out of his thoughts and started working on the cranberry sauce.
The table had been set. Lovely ornaments where set up by the windows, hanging by the walls. A Christmas tree lit up by fairy lights, which blinked in a certain rhythm, was by the corner of the room by the television. Henry, who had spent the night with his other mom Regina, would arrive with his grandparents and Neal when they would show up. They had arranged so Henry would open half of his presents with Regina, saving some of his presents for the Christmas dinner at Emma's, so they both could have some Christmas fun together.
When they had finishing making the food they went to get dressed. Emma put on a royal blue dress with a white color, and blue tights. She had curled her hair with some loose curls. Killian opted for a white shirt that he had opened a bit for his chest, and dark jeans, his pendant still around his neck. The doorbell rang just in time as they had finished getting ready. Emma half ran to make sure everything looked alright before she went to open the door.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Her parents and Henry shouted as the door opened. Henry had his uncle, the almost toddler Neal with him. Snow took in the presents they had brought with them. Killian went to greet David at the door, a handshake as David was about to walk in the door. Snow and Emma began to laugh and the two boys turned around confused, then suddenly looked up in realization.
David let out a slight nervous laughter and spoke up "I had started to accept you into our family Hook, but I don't think we're quite there yet" and Killian laughed "I'll win you over some time David" he jested and everyone joined in on the laughter.
"I don't think I like this mistletoe tradition Emma" he half whispered to her and she giggled.
"Emma I brought the pie with me" Snow said after taking her red coat off, and sat it down on the counter.
"Mom you know I was supposed to bake one. We'll have more pie than dinner at this point. Wait did you bring it in case I failed to make a pie?" Emma asked half raising her eyebrow.
"No" Snow answered but not entirely convincing. She made it up for giving Emma a hug and telling her how amazing the food smells.
"At least Henry will be glad to have pie leftovers. If he's being nice tonight I might let him have it for breakfast "Emma said, bringing the roast ham out of the oven. Nice and crispy she put it on a plate and Snow helped bring out the food onto the table.
Now that everyone had been eating all the delicious Christmas food until they were all stuffed, Emma sat everyone down by the Christmas tree and found their presents. Emma had been generous with Henry giving him his own laptop he could use for his homework, oblivious to the fact that Regina had also given a brand new cellphone. Hook didn't entirely figure out the fuss about such an upgrade, to him the other cellphone Henry had previously had been just as good.
"You're really lucky this year kiddo" Emma laughed as she opened the present she had received from Hook. She tore open the wrapping and she noticed a pearly necklace. It was golden and the stone appeared to be purple and blue as it saw fit in the light.
"I gathered this pearl necklace while I had been on the seas with the crew. Don't worry this one was not stolen, I traded it with a bottle of rum, stupid fellah – he could have received so much more for this necklace" Killian told her, and she kissed in thanks and sat it down at the table with the rest of her gifts. She took one she had by her side for Killian and gave it to him. He raised his eyebrows wondering what it was, using his hook to tear open the wrapping. He noticed a pair of gold cufflinks, and when he studied them closer he saw pictures of a drawing of the Jolly Roger on them. There were still something at the bottom of the box and he picked up. It was a flask wrapped in brown leather and an engraved in the leather was an anchor. It brought a smile up to his face – she knew how much the sea meant for him, and she wouldn't let him forget it.
"These would be quite useful. Thank you Swan" He said putting them aside. Everyone had opened their presents and had watched a family Christmas film together for the rest of the evening. When Henry had gone to bed and Emma had washed up everything and cleaned, she leaned by the doorframe exhausted with a smile on her face.
"It seems the evening went as planned, love" He said with a smile stepping towards her. She noticed a little wrapped up box in his hands, and her palms started to sweat.
"For you" He said and gave it to her. She struggled with the ribbon a tiny bit with her nervous fingers and opened it. It was a black box. As she opened it, she noticed Killian had gone down on his knees. Her breath got caught in her throat as she saw the ring. It was the same one he had on his chain, the ring that had belonged to his brother Liam before him.
Killian didn't settle for a cliché speech. Before his nerves got the better of him, he asked her the question he had long to ask her ever since they returned from the underworld.
"Will you marry me?" A part of him was scared that even now she would say no for being too scared for the future, and he never wished to move too fast with their relationship. She uttered out a short yes that sounded like a faint whisper. When the ring was set on her finger she asked him;
"Why didn't you propose when my parents were here?"
"To save myself from embarrassment if you said no" He said and she chuckled.
"I went to the underworld to save you. Split my heart in two that we now share. Did you really think I would walk away now?" She asked and he spoke up.
"I wasn't sure if marriage was something that you wanted, can't blame a man for being uncertain" Hook explained
"You can't rid of me that easily pirate. You already stole my heart, guess you could say I'm hooked." She laughed senselessly at her own pun, and he joined in.
Killian looked up and so did Emma. They were standing under the mistletoe. They kissed for a few moments longer than just a peck to the lips.
"You know Swan. I think I do like the mistletoe tradition after all. I can't wait to spend the next year kissing you under the mistletoe, or the year after that, and the year after that." Killian said
"Or David" she added and they laughed, they fell right back into the kiss in complete joy of the Christmas spirit.
