Killian knew something was wrong the moment he pushed the door open.

"Emma?" he called out, glancing into the kitchen.

The water was boiling on the stove and he hurried to turn the heat down. The carrots had apparently been minced a while back and were turning black. The oven was working, obviously left to pre-heat, but there was nothing inside. Killian felt a bit guilty for letting Charming sidetrack him. Despite all of Emma's reassurances that she could handle the meal for Christmas Eve, he had promised to come home as quickly as possible to help her out. Still he wasn't more than half an hour late and had no idea where she might have disappeared.

"Emma?" he called out again, a worried edge to his voice now.

He heard a stifled noise from upstairs and in the next second took the stairs two at a time.

Hurrying into the bedroom he found her, sitting on their bed, head in her hands, shoulders shaking slightly.

"Luv?" he dropped to his knees in front of her, eyes full of worry. "What's wrong?"

Emma just shook her head helplessly without looking up. Emotional displays were not a favourite of hers and she rarely let even him see her so vulnerable.

"Emma, please," he said, sounding desperate. "just tell me what's going on. We're going to figure it out together, alright?"

The blonde looked up, her red eyes tugging at the pirate's heart. He was going to go to Neverland and back again, if it would erase her worries. Emma rubbed her nose awkwardly, waving a hand to the right. Killian's eyes followed the movement and widened in alarm.

"Bloody Hell!" he raised his hand, rubbing the scar on his eyebrow nervously.

Apparently he wasn't as good at hiding treasures as he was at finding them. Either that or the sheriff was just that good.

Either way, Emma Swan had found Captain Hook's Christmas gifts.

"Henry told me it's what people do at this time of the year in your realm," he said nervously, turning back to her and trying to see why his presents had caused her such distress. "I should have asked the lad to come with me but then he would have seen his own gift and he did day that surprise was an integral part of the custom so I decided to try my luck. But it they are so bad or not appropriate or-"

"Oh!" Emma put a hand to her mouth, her eyes widening in horror at his words.

She shook her head rapidly and moved to the floor too so that they were on the same eye-level.

"No, no, Killian it's not… there's nothing wrong with the presents!" She said quickly. "I-I didn't even see them properly! I found them by mistake and stopped looking when I realized what they were. Honestly!"

"Then…" his brows were drawn together in confusion. "Why are you upset?"

Emma looked anywhere but at him, clearly embarrassed by her reaction and trying to make light of the situation.

"I'm not upset. I'm really not."

"Lass?"

"No, really."

"Emma."

She looked up into his blue eyes. She had no place to hide. He demanded nothing yet his very gaze was drawing her out of her shell, making her feel as if she could tell him anything. As if he wanted her to.

"That's never happened to me before," she muttered under her breath, wiping her nose again and giving a self-deprecating little laugh. "Shit! This is ridiculous."

Killian reached out and cupped her face, forcing her to stop fidgeting and answer the question written all over his face. Emma sighed. Her 'i-hate-that-i-can't-keep-you-out-of-my-head-let-alone-my-heart'sigh. It was pretty much the same as her 'you're-an-annoying-bastard' sigh but a little bit softer around the edges.

"Kids do that around Christmas here," she started explaining, a faint blush colouring her cheeks. "They go around, snooping for their gifts, trying to figure out their parents' hiding places, and then they pretend not to know anything while bouncing around in excitement. It's all part of the Christmas spirit or whatever."

"Alright," Killian tried to get it, he really did, and usual he was pretty damn good at understanding Emma, but he was still having trouble making the connection this time.

Emma gave him a small smile.

"I never got the chance to do any of that," she said quietly.

And just like that it clicked. And Killian's heart broke just a little bit more for his lost girl.

"I never… got to search the house for presents or pester my parents about what they got me. I rarely even got anything," her eyes widened in mortification. "This isn't about gifts! God, I sound so shallow. I-"

"I get it, luv," he said softly.

"You do?" her voice held a mixture of disbelief and hope.

He just nodded.

"I just… When I came across your presents… I don't know. I realized that you had not only bought me a gift but then you had also taken the time to find a place to hide it - so that I wouldn't see it and spoil my surprise. I mean you…" Emma swallowed, putting her arms around his neck and leaning her forehead again his. "I love you."

Killian's whole face lit up as if someone had flipped on a switch.

"I love you too."

"And you make me so damn happy."

"That also goes both ways, luv," he leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "I'm sorry my hiding place wasn't much of a success. I'll do better next year."

And Emma was glad that she limited herself to one emotional display per week because that sentence alone made her heart do funny things inside her chest. Because there was going to be a next year, and a year after that, and suddenly she was pretty sure that they were going to turn this into a tradition. She was going to search for Killian's presents every year and he was going to have to find a new spot the next and it would be better than anything she could have had. Because now she got to have it with him.