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seospicybin · 9 months

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TOO HOT TO HANDLE.

EXTRA HOT REUNION.

Felix x reader. (s)

Too Hot To Handle Masterlist.

Synopsis: You and Felix are having a Too Hot To Handle reunion with other contestants to catch up on the life after the retreat. (4,2k words)

Author's note: Some of you asking for a reunion so here it is! Also, happy birthday the blonde guy from Stray Kids x

Content warning: This is entirely a work of fiction and not affiliated with real Too Hot To Handle show.

HOST: Hello, everyone! I am your host for the Too Hot To Handle Extra Hot Reunion show! Hello, sexy people!

EVERYONE: [Claps] [cheers]

HOST: We'll be getting all the juicy details of the contestants of Too Hot To Handle season 1 and find out if your favorite couple is still together or not!

HOST: In the meantime, let's see if they still remember how many times they broke the rules!

LAURA: Wow! Honestly... A lot! [Chuckles]

ALEX: Indeed, we did a lot of things.

MAEVE: Just once and I don't regret it. At all!

YOU: Agree! [Thumbs up]

DANIEL: Oh, Laura touched someone's willy!

JAMIE: I didn't break enough rules.

KILLIAN: [laughs] I still remember your naughty little fingers, Felix!

FELIX: [laughs] [shows fingers to the camera]

COLE: I was too busy keeping you horn dogs from breaking the rules to break a rule.

HOST: These two girls prove that you can seek connections other than romantic ones. In this season we watched how their friendship blooms from a rule break.

HOST: Hello, my darlings!

MAEVE: Hey, gorgeous! [Waves]

YOU: Hi, babes!

HOST: We all know that the two of you are close before the kiss but what did you think that makes you guys click in the first place?

YOU: It's because we entered the villa together!

MAEVE: [Gasps] I almost forgot about that!

YOU: I was so nervous, it was my first time being in a show and front of a camera. I was grateful that they paired me up with someone and she's like... such a hottie.

MAEVE; Awww, thank you, babe!

YOU: And I think it's crazy that I met an Irish girl and we clicked right away.

MAEVE: It's meant to be!

HOST: Such a wonderful start to a relationship and both of you are hot and shared a hot kiss.

YOU: [Nods] Oh, yes.

MAEVE: [Blushes] [laughs]

HOST: So, how did the kiss happen?

YOU: I just wanted to kiss her. Really.

MAEVE: Babe, we agree to keep it a secret! [laughs]

YOU: [Laughs] I always think that Maeve is gorgeous, she's hot and no one can deny that yet she's always insecure about it.

MAEVE: [Quietly chuckles]

YOU: Frankly, a few times I wanted to shake her shoulders and snap her out of it because like, come on, she has nothing to be not confident about but instead of that, I kissed her.

MAEVE: Right! I'm a slow learner but with a kiss, I immediately get it.

HOST: Oh yes, a good snog always helps.

MAEVE: Right?

HOST: You mentioned in the show that someday you'll visit her in Ireland and have drinks together. Have you had the chance to do it?

YOU: [Nods] I already did.

MAEVE: She visited me last summer and we had so much fun.

YOU: We had tons of fun. We went from one pub to another and I obviously can't drink as much as Maeve— Oh, Killian!!!

MAEVE: [Covers face]

HOST: Do I smell something here? [Sniffs] Oh, it reeks of romance.

YOU: I'll leave that to Maeve to explain [Props hand under chin]

MAEVE: After the show we stayed in contact and we hung out a few times, there's something— I can't tell much for now. We want to take things slow.

HOST: It's better than nothing.

YOU: [leans close to the camera] [puts hands around your mouth] They're snogging, everyone!

HOST: Oh, kiss me I'm Irish indeed!

MAEVE: But still, our kiss is the best I've ever had.

HOST: Do you agree with that? Is Maeve still the best kisser?

YOU: Yes and yes and yes.

MAEVE: [Cheers] Eat that, Felix!

HOST: Do you girls have any plans? Upcoming girl's trip? Do you plan on sharing another kiss?

MAEVE: Another kiss for sure!

YOU: We want to do a lot of things and kissing is one of them [puckering lips]

MAEVE: [Blows kisses at you]

HOST: Nothing we love more than two girls wanting to kiss each other! True friendship goals right there!

HOST: We're usually able to guess which couple going to make it to the last but we didn't guess it right when they parted ways in the middle of the season. Tell us why it happened, Jamie!

JAMIE: [Rubs forehead] Uh... first thing first, I was sexually frustrated.

YOU: We all were!

JAMIE: I wanted to break the rules and she didn't so I got more frustrated [laughs]

YOU: That's true!

JAMIE: What a man can do?

YOU: A lot, actually! [Rolls eyes] [laughs]

HOST: Let it all out, honey! Let it out!

YOU: What was upsetting to me is that because I was about to open up to him and I was planning on breaking a rule with him but he [sighs] Well, it's your loss, Jamie [smirks]

JAMIE: It was my loss, I admit [hands up]

HOST: But are we good now? Are we on good terms or should we make a peace treaty right here, right now?

YOU: [Laughs]

JAMIE: We're good. We had dinner together the other night.

HOST: Is that true? Is it like... was it civil? Was it a peace offering?

YOU: Nah [shakes head] it was Cole, he told me he's in town and invited me to have dinner together. I would have said no if I knew Jamie was going to be there [gags] [laughs] I'm joking.

JAMIE: I did doubt she'd come if Cole had told her I'd be coming too.

YOU: I came because Cole said he'll pay for dinner [chuckles]

JAMIE: [Closes eyes] [flustered]

YOU: Jokes aside, we're good. We're friends.

JAMIE: Thank you! Everyone can stop coming at me now [laughs] thank you for clearing it up.

HOST: Oh, [wipes forehead] I was about to call for backup here but thank you for keeping this a peaceful reunion.

HOST: This is the moment you've been waiting for! They're my favorite couple in the show and it seems like they're everyone's favorite too. Hi, cuties!

FELIX: [Waves hand] Hi!

YOU: Hiya!

HOST: Let's catch up with you first, girl! How are you doing?

YOU: I've been doing great [smiles] I... uhm, I've been working hard on paying my debts and I'm debt-free now.

HOST: Woohoo! That's great!

YOU: Sad that I watched my money gone like that [laughs] but I'm relieved I don't have to think about it again.

HOST: We heard you're finishing fashion school. Is it true?

YOU: Yes, I am. I'm graduating next month!

HOST: [Claps] Oh, congratulations in advance, darling!

FELIX: [Claps] [smiles]

HOST: Aren't you proud of your girl, Felix?

FELIX: [Clears throat] Absolutely! She's been working hard so she deserves every good thing that comes to her.

YOU: [Coos] Thank you [smiles]

HOST: And how are things, Felix? How's life after the retreat?

FELIX: It felt weird to be back in the real world after the retreat. Moreover, I just feel like staying in the villa and not working [laughs]

HOST: Understandable!

FELIX: The only annoying thing about the retreat is Lana [chuckles]

HOST: Uh oh! Let's hope Lana didn't just hear it. For now, let's see some of your moments in the retreat!

YOU: Not you guys showing how I got fingered under the cover again [Facepalms]

HOST: I'm afraid it'll live forever in the TV history.

[Playing video of you and Felix in the retreat]

HOST: Getting flashbacks? How did you feel watching all that?

YOU: Wow. I mean looking back at it now, it feels like I did change. My friends and family kept saying something changed in me but I felt the same. I get it now.

HOST: How about you, Felix?

FELIX: Same. I was single when I joined the show and planned on staying single at the end of it.

HOST: Until the ultimate cockblock appeared?

FELIX: [Chuckles] Yes but the outcome is better than I expected.

HOST: Getting into the important questions now. Please fill in the blanks on what you guys did after the retreat is over.

YOU: [Sighs] [Chuckles] We stayed together for a week. Felix decided to come home and stayed over at my place and yeah... we just went at it.

HOST: Oh, straight into the juicy details, huh?

FELIX: [Laughs] We did like... seven times a day.

YOU: [Laughs] I felt— [inhales] I felt bad for my neighbor at that time.

HOST: Did you guys ahem... did all the things you guys wanted to do in a private suite?

YOU: [Tips head] [Slyly smiles]

FELIX: To be honest... [licks lips] not enough.

HOST: OH MY GOODNESS!

YOU: [Laughs] I had to change the bedsheets every few hours!

HOST: OH, YOU ANIMALS!

FELIX: You want the juicy details [smiles] [shrugs]

HOST: It's wow— It's not juicy, it's rather flooding in here. What happened after that?

YOU: Felix went back to Australia and I got busy working, school.

FELIX: [Nods] I went back to work right away.

HOST: [Blinks eyes] Nothing happened after that?

YOU: We spent New Year's together and after that, we just went back to our lives.

HOST: New Year was two months ago, babes! Wait, are you—

FELIX: We haven't met again after that.

HOST: Oh, no. I don't want to be the bearer of bad news to everyone but I have to ask, are you guys still together?

YOU: Well...

HOST: Hold that tongue and let me get back to you after I asked everyone about their favorite best moments!

HOST: What is your favorite best moment?

HEIDI: Fooling around with everyone in the pool.

LAURA: Definitely kissing Alex [laughs] No, I'm playing. I had fun doing the all-girls workshop that when I felt the closest to them.

YOU: What I miss the most now is just us girls talking in the dressing room.

KILLIAN: Felix and I working out by the beach together.

JAMIE: It must be the date I had with Mia. I never had a nice date like that.

JOSH: The dance we did in the last episode.

MAEVE: The first party we had and everyone's faces when they found out it was Too Hot To Handle.

ALEX: Goofing around with the boys in the bedroom.

FELIX: That time I was sweating so much from waiting for my girl to come back from the date.

COLE: Must be the times we spent worrying about the money [laughs]

HOST: We're back with our favorite couple and about to reveal the fate of their relationship. I'm going to ask you guys again. Are you guys still together?

YOU: The distance is... I guess we kind of having a hard time overcoming it. Other than that, we're both busy, Felix is always traveling for his job and I'm stuck here studying.

FELIX: My worries turned out to be true and we had our ups and downs.

HOST: Stop dragging this around. My heart can't take it.

FELIX: Well... Sorry, I just need to— [exits the frame]

HOST: Felix, where are you going?

YOU: [Looks to the side] [Felix appears in your frame]

HOST: OH?! You guys are—

YOU: [Nods] [Chuckles]

FELIX: I decided to move in with her.

HOST: [Clutches chest] You guys are so mean, I almost had a heart attack.

YOU: [Gets up from chair] [sits on Felix's lap]

FELIX: It's the only way for this to work. Being away from her, the distance... [sighs] it was draining so I sorted a few things, packed up, and moved in.

YOU: I just moved to a new apartment so the timing couldn't be more perfect.

HOST: Is the bedroom soundproofed, babe?

YOU: [Laughs] Not yet but now I plan on doing it.

HOST: You should because it seems to me like it's going to be super loud and busy in there.

FELIX: It's about to [smirks]

HOST: Please show us some love! Share a smooch with us for all of your fans out there.

FELIX: [Turns head] [kisses you on the lips]

HOST: Oh, great! I feel so single now.

YOU: Well, you can always join Too Hot To Handle [Laughs]

HOST: No, thank you. I enjoyed seeing my favorite couple is still all lovey-dovey. Felix, do you have anything to say before we end our interview?

FELIX: Yes. It was nice catching up with everyone and I'm happy to be here with my girlfriend but I'm afraid it's time to f—

HOST: Sorry, Felix, as much as we love a happy ending, we have to cut you off again. It's been fun catching up with all the hot guests from the first season of Too Hot To Handle. Hope to see you guys again next time and thank you for watching!

Felix shuts the laptop once the interview is over and puts his arms around you.

"That was fun," he murmurs close to your ear.

You turn your head to the side, letting him capture your lips into a kiss.

"The fun hasn't begun," you mutter against his lips and let go to continue talking, "yet."

He leans in for another kiss as you recline on his chest, his hands roaming around your clothed body and feeling you all over.

"You still make me hard," he seductively whispers into your ear.

When the kiss starts to get deeper and harder, you get up from his lap, unzipping your dress as you walk backward while maintaining eye contact with him.

The dress drops onto the floor and pools around your ankle, exposing the matching underwear you're wearing.

You kick the dress away and it lands next to his feet.

Felix resists picking it up and shakes his head, eyeing the piece of clothing you're wearing that he wants.

"Give it to me," he says with a deep, assertive voice that makes you tingle inside.

"Okay..." Your hand reaches to the back to unclasp your bra.

Sliding the straps down your shoulders, you take the bra off and throwing at him, landed right on his lap.

He hisses as he takes it but does nothing to it, "The other one!"

You shake your head and cup your breasts with your hands, "Nuh-uh! No!"

Felix glares at you and leans forward on his chair, "Give it to me!" He says with a deeper voice.

"Why don't you get it yourself?" You dare him with a sly smile.

Felix reclines on the chair, spreading his legs wide, and pokes his inner cheek with his tongue. It's like he's doing a photoshoot for a magazine.

"I have no other option then," he sighs and quickly gets up from the chair to chase after you.

You squeal as you make a run to the bedroom, but he catches you right before you can climb onto the bed.

"Got you!"

Felix wraps his arms around you and shuts you up with a kiss on your open mouth. His hands get busy roaming around your naked body as his kiss turns sloppy.

You turn around to face him and hook your leg over his, clinging to him as you return his eager kisses.

"Baby..." You whine.

He gently bites at your lower lip and slyly smiles, "What?"

You gently push him away and lay down on the bed, giving him the eyes as you say, "Take those clothes off for me."

Felix is too busy lusting over your almost naked body on the bed to hear what you said to him.

"Baby!" You call him again a little louder.

It works to snap him out of his possibly lewd daydream, "No time to take the clothes off," he says, then jumps onto the bed.

Felix likes it more if you’re the one taking his clothes off for him.

Your hands are swiftly unbuttoning his shirt while your mouth is busy returning his hard and deep kisses. You impatiently part it open once you're done unbuttoning them all.

Felix eventually has to be the one getting rid of it, reluctantly letting go of the kiss to do it. He hurls it across the room to hover above you again.

"I miss you," he earnestly says as he stares deeply into your eyes.

"Aww..." you coo and brush his already tousled hair, "I miss you too."

Your fingertips lightly trail his cheek dusted with freckles and cup his jaw, "Come, kiss me again!" you sweetly demand with an adorable pout.

He's more than happy to comply, pressing his lips on you again. His heart is shrunk from being away from you too long, but the kiss helps him fill it with warm feelings, and revives it back to life.

A part of him still can't believe that he's moving in with you and he can see you every day, kissing you as many times as he wants.

"I love you," he mutters as he breaks the kiss.

"I love you too," you say back with a smile that makes his heart rattle inside his chest.

"Baby, isn't it time for you to give me head?"

He breaks into laughter, "So impatient, huh?"

"Well, you've been away for long..." you meekly answer and put your legs around his waist to draw him closer.

You lowly giggle as you guide his hand down south, "A girl has her needs, you know."

He rubs over your clothed core and slyly grinning as he looks down at you, "Uh-huh?"

You nod and spread your legs wider for him, "You still make me wet," you say as you watch his hand slip into your underwear.

"Mmh..." He hums with a quick kiss on your neck.

Felix continues the trail of kisses down your neck and chest, biting on your nipples on his way down to kiss your abdomen.

You squirm as his mouth gets closer to where you want him to be. A moan falls out of your parted mouth as his mouth makes contact with your clothed cunt.

Oh, how he misses hearing the noises you make as his tongue lapping at your wetness. The taste of you quench his thirst yet he can't have enough.

Your hand tangles in his hair, tugging at it whenever the pleasure gets overwhelming and at the same time, telling him that he's doing the right thing.

There are so many things he wants to do but one pops out in his head at this moment. He sucks hard on your clit before letting it go.

Hastily, he kisses your mouth, ignoring his mouth drenched in your essence.

"Baby?"

"Yeah?" You breathlessly ask with wide eyes.

He places a slobbering kiss on your jaw before answering you, "Do you have anything we can play with?"

You shot him a surprised look, then lowly chuckle, "In the second drawer of the dresser."

A part of him still can't believe that he's moving in with you and he can see you every day, kissing you as many times as he wants.

"I love you," he mutters as he breaks the kiss.

"I love you too," you say back with a smile that makes his heart rattle inside his chest.

"Baby, isn't it time for you to give me head?"

He breaks into laughter, "So impatient, huh?"

"Well, you've been away for long..." you meekly answer and put your legs around his waist to draw him closer.

You lowly giggle as you guide his hand down south, "A girl has her needs, you know."

He rubs over your clothed core and slyly grinning as he looks down at you, "Uh-huh?"

You nod and spread your legs wider for him, "You still make me wet," you say as you watch his hand slip into your underwear.

"Mmh..." He hums with a quick kiss on your neck.

Felix continues the trail of kisses down your neck and chest, biting on your nipples on his way down to kiss your abdomen.

You squirm as his mouth gets closer to where you want him to be. A moan falls out of your parted mouth as his mouth makes contact with your clothed cunt.

Oh, how he misses hearing the noises you make as his tongue lapping at your wetness. The taste of you quench his thirst yet he can't have enough.

Your hand tangles in his hair, tugging at it whenever the pleasure gets overwhelming and at the same time, telling him that he's doing the right thing.

There are so many things he wants to do but one pops out in his head at this moment. He sucks hard on your clit before letting it go.

Hastily, he kisses your mouth, ignoring his mouth drenched in your essence.

"Baby?"

"Yeah?" You breathlessly ask with wide eyes.

He places a slobbering kiss on your jaw before answering you, "Do you have anything we can play with?"

You shot him a surprised and lowly chuckle, "In the second drawer of the dresser."

Nothing can compare to the feeling of entering you and the look on your face as you slowly take his length.

Felix is on cloud nine once his cock is fully buried inside you, he tenderly caresses your cheek and puts your hair to the side.

"Always taking me so well, mmh?" He coos at you.

You smile with your eyes closed as a response to his sweet praise.

It only gets better now that he's getting help from the vibrator he takes from your drawer. He turns it on and it's buzzing in his hand.

Slowly, he puts the vibrator on your clit and pays attention to the facial expression you make as a guide to please you.

It's the first time for him as well to use it on you and feel the vibration even though his cock is snug inside your velvety walls.

"Good, baby?" He asks.

You nod with a blissful smile on your face, squirming on the bed with moans spilling out of your parted mouth.

Felix pauses by turning off the vibrator and begins to slowly thrust into you at a steady pace.

Your eyes are screwed shut and your hands are gripping the sides of your pillow.

"Baby, oh..." You moan out loud.

As much as he wants to please you, he wants to take his time and give you the best of pleasure. He leans down to kiss you again, giving you a break by slowly making out with you.

"Faster, yeah?" He asks against your lips.

"Okay," you answer with your lips wet from the kisses.

He kisses you before getting into position, turning on the vibrator, and changing the speed settings.

It's getting more intense now and he can feel it as you tighten and flutter around him. You're sucking him deeper so that he can't help himself but draw his cock out of you and slowly slip it in.

You're a moaning mess, clawing at the bedsheets and squirming on the bed, "Oh, fu..." your curse goes into a breathless moan.

He can see the sheen of sweat covering your body and tears pooling in the corner of your eyes, overwhelmed by the stimulations he's doing to you.

"Close, baby?"

"Yeah, yeah," you repeatedly answer in a broken voice.

Felix decides to ditch the vibrator and puts all of his focus on you, he's hovering above you, giving you a minute to calm down.

"You feel so good, baby, oh..." he praises along with a hot kiss on your lips.

"Been dreaming of fucking you this good," he murmurs with his mouth planted on your neck.

You hold the nape of his neck and bring his head close for a passionate kiss that takes his breath away. You both gasp for air the second you let go.

"Make me feel good, baby," you whine, arching your back and intentionally clenching around him.

A raw groan rips out of his throat, Felix drops his head into your neck and gathers his senses, or else he'll lose it right there, right now.

"Ain't I making you feel good right now?" He asks.

"I want more," you reply with a naughty grin on your face.

As a boyfriend, Felix will always give you what you want and it happens that he wants the same thing too.

With a deep kiss and he plants his hands against the mattress, he starts thrusting into you again. He sets a steady pace at first, yet a moment later, he loses all control and picks up the speed.

It's getting more intense that he can't contain his grunts and he can feel your nails digging into the flesh on his back.

"Oh, I..." The rest of your words turn incoherent as he mercilessly pounds into you.

Felix lets himself go the second you reach your climax, using every bit of his senses left to get to his release. He crashes his mouth on you and you break the kiss not long after as you let out a loud moan.

He collapses onto you and you wrap your arms around him, reorganizing your breathing with your bodies rising and falling in sync.

"Imagine if we did all that in retreat," you murmur with a quick kiss on his bare shoulder.

Felix's laughs reverberate through your body as he's snuggled on top of you.

"We'd break not only Lana's rules," he props a hand against the mattress and lovingly kisses your lips.

"We'd also break Lana's bank."

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jrob64 · 3 months

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Pet for Rent, Chapter 1/4 (The Meet Cute) A CS Modern AU Story

For those of you who read "Sowing Seeds of Trust", you might remember that my dog Zeke had a starring role in it. To my great heartbreak, he died of cancer last June. When we rescued him, the shelter had named him Ernie, and he will be referenced with that name in this story.

Life without a dog proved to be very lonely, so at the end of August, we rescued another dog. The sad story of the dog in this story is what really happened to our new dog. He was named Norman and we renamed him Winston, just like in the story. That's actually him in the pic set with his 'ducky'.

This was supposed to be a short, sweet story, but somehow turned into 4 chapters. Updates will be once a week.

Special thanks to my beta @hookedmom and also to @beckettj and @zaharadessert for helping me understand the football (soccer) system in England.

SUMMARY: Emma Swan tries to cheer up her heartbroken son by 'renting' a dog from the local animal shelter. When she attempts to do it a second time, she makes a mistake, and realizes the dog has been rented by someone else the same day - a very handsome man named Killian Jones.

RATING: M (for smut in the last chapter, which can easily be skipped if that's not your thing)

WORDS: 7754

ALSO POSTED TO A03 & FFN

Story begins under the cut

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Emma Swan flopped down onto her sofa with a sigh. Since their beloved dog Ernie died three weeks ago, she had come to dread her eight-year-old son Henry’s bedtime. Every night when he said his prayers, he ended with, “God, please tell Ernie I love him and miss him, and please send me another dog. Amen.”

Her son knew the chances of getting a dog were slim to none because of his soccer practices and games, and Emma’s schedule for her new job at the sheriff’s station. They had no time to train a puppy.

Understanding why he couldn’t have a dog didn’t make his heart hurt any less. Her heart was just as broken, knowing the sadness and loneliness Henry was experiencing.

After decompressing for a few minutes, Emma’s searching hand located her phone on the end table. She unlocked it and opened her Discord app, selecting the icon representing the parents’ group of Henry’s second grade class. Sitting up a little straighter, she typed a message: Does anyone have ideas of how to help Henry get over the loss of his dog? He keeps praying for a new one, but it wouldn’t be fair to the dog to get one with our busy schedule.

She watched the screen intently for a couple of minutes, but when no names appeared to show that someone was answering, she tossed the phone onto the couch and went into the kitchen to load the dishwasher.

Forty minutes later, after cleaning up the kitchen, going through her nightly routine and changing into her pajamas, she went back into the living room. Television held no interest for her, and realizing she finished her last library book the previous evening, she picked up her phone to mindlessly play a game. Upon unlocking it, her screen opened to the Discord page and she saw three replies to her question.

The first two simply expressed sympathy for the loss of Ernie, but the third one offered a helpful suggestion. Have you thought about ‘renting’ a dog for a day? The animal shelter just outside of town offers that option. We did it for my mother when her Maltese died. The post ended with the web address for the shelter.

Emma immediately pulled up the site and, after searching the homepage, clicked on the tab for ‘services’. Scrolling down the list, she saw ‘Rent-a-Pet’ and selected it. As she read the description of how the program worked, she idly twisted strands of blonde hair around her index finger.

It sounded like a great compromise for their situation. For a donation to the shelter in the form of money, bags of pet food, treats or toys, one of the available animals could come home with them for several hours. The dogs and cats were guaranteed to be docile and house-trained, and could be adopted by the ‘renter’, if desired.

Clicking on the link taking her to the bios of the pets currently housed at the shelter, she filtered it to include only canines. Pictures of nearly two dozen dogs filled the screen, each more adorable and aww-worthy than the last.

Quickly ruling out any that were guaranteed to shed fur all over her house or were bigger than her son, her search was narrowed to nine prospects. She knew her rambunctious son would be keen to play outside with the dog and walk him or her to Storybrooke’s dog park, so a tiny fru-fru pup was out of the question, too. That left six.

She selected one at a time, reading about their breed and temperament. When she brought up the picture of the fourth candidate, the big, chocolate brown eyes and happy expression nearly made her heart melt.

‘Norman’ was a mixed breed and very little was known about him, because he was found tied to a stop sign in the middle of Portland, Maine. He was guessed to be a cocker spaniel mix and was approximately 1-2 years old. His black fur looked sleek and Emma knew he probably wouldn’t shed. A short video showed him romping and playing with another dog in the fenced play yard of the shelter.

Saving the page, she brought up the calendar on her phone and checked their schedule for the rest of the week. Henry had an early soccer game on Saturday, which would be over by 10:30, leaving the rest of the morning and afternoon free. Switching back to the shelter website, she hit the ‘Rent-a-Pet’ button again and began filling in the information, selecting ‘Norman’ when it gave her the choice of animals.

She decided not to tell Henry about the plan, opting to surprise him with it instead.

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“Great game, kid,” Emma complimented her son, ruffling his sweaty hair. “Your pass to Avery was a nice assist. That goal turned out to be the game winner.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Henry grinned around his mouthful of granola bar. “That’s the first time all season we beat the orange team.”

“I know, and I think that calls for a celebration, don’t you?” Emma fished her car keys out of her jeans pocket, before picking up her lawn chair and water bottle.

“Are we gonna get ice cream?” he asked, before cramming the rest of his snack into his mouth.

“You just ate a granola bar and a banana, and lunch will be in just an hour or so,” she laughed. “I have something else in mind.”

“Whaisit?” he queried, the unswallowed food muffling his voice.

“Well, I know how much you miss Ernie, and Violet’s mom told me about a program at the animal shelter that lets you rent a pet for a few hours,” she answered slowly, watching his reaction out of the corner of her eye. “So, I signed up to get a dog for you to play with until three o’clock this afternoon.”

Henry stopped in his tracks, swallowing down the rest of his snack as his eyes grew wide. “Really? You can do that?”

“Yeah, we’re scheduled to pick him up at eleven. What do you think about that?”

His exuberant shout of joy and sprint to the car was all the answer she needed.

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Emma couldn’t keep up with her son once he unstrapped his safety belt, exited the car and bounded toward the front door of the shelter. He was already ringing the little bell on the counter for service before she made it inside and chided him lightly for not waiting for her.

A tall, broad-shouldered man with sandy hair and light blue eyes entered through a door, the barking of dogs stifled when it clicked shut behind him. He gave them a dazzling smile and greeted them warmly with a hearty ‘good morning’.

Emma reached forward to shake his hand. “Hi, I’m Emma Swan and this is my son, Henry.”

“David Nolan,” he responded, shaking her hand, then doing the same with Henry.

“My teacher’s name is Mrs. Nolan, the same as yours,” the boy told him.

“You wouldn’t happen to be in second grade at Storybrooke Elementary, would you?” David asked.

“Yeah,” Henry confirmed.

“Ah, well, that means your teacher is my wife!”

“Wow, cool!” Henry exclaimed. “She’s the best teacher I ever had!”

David’s grin grew even wider. “That’s good to hear. She tells me all about her students every evening and she thinks yours is the best class she’s ever had!”

“It’s quite a coincidence, meeting you here,” Emma commented with a smile.

“I’ll be sure to tell Mary Margaret I met the two of you. Now, what can I do for you today?”

Emma pulled her phone out of her purse, unlocked it, and tapped on the screen a few times. Then she laid it on the counter and turned it to show David. “I signed up for the Rent-a-Pet program. Here’s the email with my confirmation.”

David peered down at the screen and used his finger to scroll down a bit. “I see you chose Norman,” he commented, looking up at her.

“Um, yeah. Is he a good dog? I don’t want any messes in my house or car.”

“He’s a great dog,” he assured her, reaching back to the wall behind him to lift a leash off of a hook. “Gets along well with other dogs, seems to love kids, and is generally a very happy little guy.”

Henry bounced up and down on the balls of his feet. “Can we take him to the dog park? Ernie always loved going to the dog park.” His countenance dropped, a small cloud of sadness passing across his features.

David shared an understanding look with Emma. “Of course you can take him. I’m sure he will love it! Would you like to come back with me to get him?”

The boy turned to look at his mother. “Can I?”

“Sure, kid. I think I’ll come back, too, if Mr. Nolan doesn’t mind.”

“The more, the merrier,” David said cheerfully.

He waited until they joined him on the other side of the counter, then opened the door to the large room full of animal cages. Immediately, the sound of barking, howling and meows filled their ears.

“They get very excited when they know someone is coming back here. I think the animals closest to the door are spies and tell the others,” David joked, raising his voice to be heard over the din.

Emma walked behind Henry, watching him turn his head left and right to peer at the occupants of all of the pens.

“Aw, Mom, look at that little puppy! He’s so cute! Aw, that dog seems sad. I bet he doesn’t like being in a cage. Look Mom, they have cats here, too.” His litany was continuous as they slowly walked down the aisle between the enclosures.

Finally, David stopped in front of a pen and turned to them, gesturing toward the dog inside. “This is Norman. He has a sad story, but he’s kept his sweet temperament, haven’t you, boy?”

As if in answer, the black dog stood up, his tail starting to wag as he realized the man was talking about him. Henry dropped to his knees in front of the cage, placing his hands against the wire. “Hi, Norman! My name is Henry. Would you like to come home with us for a little while?” The dog’s tail was wagging so fast, his entire body wiggled. “I think he understands me, Mom!” Henry said excitedly.

As David slipped inside the pen to clip the leash to Norman’s collar, Emma asked, “Has he ever been rented before?”

“Several times,” David answered, straightening up once he had the leash attached. “He’s always done really well.” Opening the door of the kennel again, he allowed the dog to go ahead of him, out to where the boy still knelt.

“Hi, boy,” Henry crooned, running his hands over the dog’s head.

Emma bent down and stroked the sleek fur on Norman’s back and sides. “He’s so soft,” she commented.

“He appears to have the coat of a cocker spaniel,” David said, “but he’s definitely a mixed breed.” He watched the boy and dog interact for a few seconds before holding out the looped end of the leash. “Would you like to lead him out to the lobby, Henry?”

He looked up at Emma with hopeful eyes. “Is that okay, Mom?”

“How is he on a leash?” she asked David. “He won’t pull my kid’s arm out of the socket, will he?”

David laughed. “He does fairly well, but if he gets excited, he can get pretty rambunctious. He’ll be fine just going to the lobby, but you might have to walk him out to your car instead of Henry.”

“Sounds like a deal, kid,” she said, giving him a nod of approval.

Henry eagerly accepted the leash and started off down the aisle. “Come on, Norman. Come on, boy. You’re gonna like it at our house. We still have some of Ernie’s toys and balls.”

Emma and David trailed behind. “How long ago did you lose your dog?” he asked.

“Almost a month and Henry is really struggling with it. He and Ernie were best buds.”

“I’m sorry. That’s rough, especially for a kid.”

“And his mom,” Emma added. “I never realized how much I loved that dog, until he got sick and I knew we were going to lose him.”

“Hopefully, Norman will give you both a few hours of enjoyment and help ease the heartache a bit,” David said, before hurrying forward to pull the door open for Henry and the dog.

While David printed off the paperwork, Norman sniffed around Henry, who sat cross-legged on the floor, giggling when the dog licked his ears. “Ernie used to do that too, remember, Mom?”

Emma smiled down at him. “Yeah, you must have very tasty ears. Maybe you should start washing them better.”

“I won’t need to, after Norman washes them!”

She turned back to finish signing the papers. “It’s nice to hear him laughing again. He hasn’t done much of that lately,” she confided to David.

“I think this will be good for both of you and Norman. He really likes being around people. I’m very surprised he hasn’t been adopted yet.”

“Do you think there’s a reason for that?”

David shrugged. “This tends to be a slow time of the year for adoptions. Summer is over and school is back in session, so people don’t have as much time to welcome a new dog into their house.”

“That’s the boat we’re in right now,” Emma commented.

“Once it gets closer to Christmas, people will come in looking for pets to give as gifts. That’s good, but also bad, because about a quarter of them are brought back when they realize a pet is more work than they anticipated.”

“We got Ernie from the shelter when Henry was two. He was already five years old, house-trained and had all of the annoying puppy behaviors out of his system.”

“Most people want puppies instead of adult dogs, but there are a lot of advantages to getting an older dog.”

“Norman doesn’t seem to be very old.”

“I’d say at least two, but he’s pretty chill. Once he runs out of energy, he becomes a couch potato.” David collected the paperwork and tapped it on the counter to straighten it. “Well, that’s all I need from you. Norman is yours until three o’clock.”

“Yay!” Henry shouted, causing the dog to start barking.

Emma reached down to take the leash. “Don’t get him all riled up right before we put him in the car, kid.”

“Sorry, Mom,” Henry apologized. “I just can’t wait to get him home! Can he sit in the back with me?”

“Sure, but first you need to thank Mr. Nolan.”

Henry popped up from the floor and looked back at David. “Thanks, Mr. Nolan! I’ll take good care of Norman, I promise!”

“My pleasure, Henry. Have fun!” David grinned.

Mother and son exited the building, with Norman leading the way, tugging excitedly on the leash. “Slow down, pup,” Emma laughed.

Henry ran ahead to open the door of the yellow Volkswagen Beetle, sliding the front seat forward and clambering into the back. As soon as Norman reached the car, he hopped in and sat on the seat beside Henry like he’d done it every day of his life.

“Well, that was easy,” Emma commented, removing the loop of the leash from her wrist and tossing it beside the dog. After closing the door, she circled around behind the car to get into the driver’s seat. She looked into the rearview mirror and choked up at the sight meeting her eyes. Henry had his arms wrapped around Norman’s neck with his eyes closed and his head resting against the dog’s.

Emma was sure the time with Norman was going to be good for both boy and dog, but she couldn’t help but worry about what would happen when it came time to bring him back to the shelter.

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Emma was barely able to get Henry to eat when they got home, and had to reprimand him for sneaking Norman bits of his sandwich. The dog, for his part, sat politely while they ate, not begging or whining. She was impressed with his behavior, remembering how she had to break Ernie from begging at the table when they first adopted him.

Henry and Norman bonded quickly as they chased each other around the small backyard, playing with a tennis ball and squeaky toys from Ernie’s toy basket. Emma sat on their small patio, thoroughly enjoying the sounds of happy barking and her son’s laughter. She pulled out her phone and took a picture, posting it to the Discord group and tagging Violet’s mom to thank her for the idea of renting a pet.

Just after two o’clock, Emma suggested taking Norman to the dog park before going back to the shelter. They played there for forty minutes, then the three of them returned home and piled back into the car. Once again, she caught sight in the mirror of her son hugging the dog and sighed, but instead of dreading Norman’s return, she decided to enjoy every minute of happiness it was bringing to Henry…and herself.

Their time with the dog was over all too soon. After Emma parked the car at the shelter, Henry got out of the car and trudged to the door with the leash gripped tightly in his hand. Norman seemed to sense the boy’s mood and walked slowly beside him, his head hanging low.

David was at the desk to greet them again, an understanding look at his face at the dejected look of all three of them. “Was he good for you?” he asked.

“He was great,” Emma answered, rubbing her hand soothingly over her son’s back. “Wasn’t he, kid?”

“Yeah,” Henry quietly agreed, his eyes trained on the floor.

“You know, you’re welcome to rent Norman, or any of our other dogs, anytime you want,” David said.

Henry looked up. “But what if someone adopts him?”

“Well, that would be a good thing for Norman,” Emma reminded him.

“I guess,” Henry sighed. He knelt down beside the dog, wrapping him up in another hug. “I’ll miss you, boy, but maybe I’ll see you again.” The dog licked his cheek, eliciting a small giggle. Then Henry stood and held the leash out to David. “Thank you, Mr. Nolan. I had a lot of fun with Norman.”

“I’m happy to hear it,” David said, accepting the leash and moving around the counter. Patting the dog on the head, he added, “I hope we’ll see you again, soon.”

Henry turned pleading eyes to his mother. “Can we do it again next weekend, Mom?”

“You have Avery’s birthday party next Saturday, remember?”

“Oh, yeah,” Henry nodded, then bit his lip in contemplation. “The next weekend, then?”

Emma laughed. “We’ll see.” She leaned down to pet the dog’s head. “Be a good boy, Norman. You’re welcome at our house anytime.”

After saying their goodbyes, they watched David take the dog toward the door leading to the back. Norman turned and gave them a sad look before following the shelter worker through it, tearing at Emma’s heart even more.

She swallowed hard and said, “Come on, kid. Let’s go home.”

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The sadness soon wore off and for the next several days, Henry talked almost incessantly about all of the fun he had with Norman. Emma checked their schedule and saw that Henry had another early game three weeks later, which would be the last game of the soccer season. She relayed that news to Henry, asking him if he wanted to rent Norman again that day, and was answered with a very enthusiastic ‘YES!’

She nearly forgot to make the reservation, only remembering three days before, while waiting to pick Henry up from practice. Quickly, she pulled up the website and filled out the form, glancing up often to see if Henry was coming off the field because she always liked to meet him as soon as he did, instead of waiting for him in the car.

Emma was especially glad they decided to rent Norman Saturday, since Henry’s soccer team lost their final game by one goal. His downcast look was soon replaced with excitement when she reminded him that they would be going to the shelter.

When they arrived, he bounded out of the car and waited impatiently for his mom to join him, before practically sprinting to the door. It took a couple of minutes before David emerged from the back, beaming a smile when he saw them waiting at the counter.

“Henry! Emma! I’m very happy to see you again!”

“We’re here to get Norman,” Henry said excitedly.

A puzzled look crossed David’s face. “I’m sorry, but Norman is already being rented by somebody else today,” he informed them.

“What?” Henry asked, a slight tremor in his voice. Then he turned to Emma. “But Mom, you said we would be getting Norman.”

Emma was already pulling the email up on her phone. “There must be some mistake, Mr. Nolan. I reserved Norman when I filled out the form. See?”

She turned her phone for the worker to see it. David looked at it carefully, then pointed to the screen. “It looks like you didn’t ask for a specific dog.”

“I didn’t?” she questioned, then looked at her phone more closely, her heart dropping when she saw the blank space beside the ‘requested animal’ inquiry. “Oh, Henry. I’m so sorry. I was in a hurry when I filled it out and I must have missed that question.”

“We have several other dogs,” David consoled. “I’m sure you’ll have just as much fun with one of them.”

“No I won’t,” Henry pouted. “I only want Norman.”

“Henry…” Emma started, but was interrupted when the door behind her opened.

“Good morning, Dave,” said a deep voice with a distinctive British accent.

Emma turned to see the newcomer and nearly swallowed her tongue. The man standing before her had to be a mirage, because surely someone that handsome didn’t really exist. He had a lean physique clad in dark jeans and a maroon henley, with a tantalizing view of chest hair peeking out of the unbuttoned neckline. A black leather jacket completed his ensemble. His chiseled jawline was covered with a pleasing amount of scruff and his dark, windblown hair was falling over his forehead. He sported a wide grin and, between that and his deep blue eyes, Emma was mesmerized.

She was suddenly very aware of her own appearance. Henry’s early game meant she had thrown on a pair of sweatpants, donned an old hoodie and stuffed a beanie over her barely brushed hair that morning. Her face was free of makeup, unless you counted a few stray flecks of mascara that stubbornly refused to come off when she washed her face the previous evening.

“Hey, Killian,” David greeted.

The man’s - Killian’s - eyes had settled on Emma, a glint of curiosity evident in them.

“Oh, um, come on Henry,” she said, after several moments of silence. “Let’s get out of this man’s way.”

“But Mommmm…” he whined.

Emma put her hand on his shoulder and guided him away from the counter. “We’ll figure something out, kid.”

“I’m in no hurry, Miss,” Killian began.

“No, it’s okay,” she hurried to assure him. “I’m afraid I created a problem that might take a while to straighten out, so please, go ahead.”

“In that case, thank you very much,” he smiled. Turning his eyes to David, he asked, “Is Winston ready?”

Emma was surprised to see the genial shelter worker furrow his brow at the other man. “Why do you insist on calling him that?”

Killian shrugged. “He looks like a Winston to me, and he answers to that name when he’s at my house.”

David glanced at Emma and Henry and opened his mouth to say something, but apparently changed his mind. Grabbing a leash off of a hook, he said, “Give me a minute,” then he pushed the door open and disappeared into the back.

“Are you adopting a dog today?” Henry asked Killian.

“Alas, no. I just moved into a small apartment here three months ago and am still trying to get everything organized and put away. Being in a new town has been a bit lonely at times, so I’ve been coming here now and then to borrow a dog for a few hours.”

“That’s why we’re here, but somebody is taking the dog I want,” Henry grumbled.

“Henry, that’s enough,” Emma reprimanded. “You haven’t even looked at any of the other dogs.”

“None of them will be as good as Norman.”

Killian’s brows raised. “Did you say Nor-”

Just then, the door behind the counter opened and David came through, trying to control a very excited dog.

“Norman!” Henry cheered, dropping to his knees. The dog started jumping toward him, wildly licking his face as soon as he reached the boy.

“I thought you said he was already rented today,” Emma questioned David.

“He is,” he replied, looking pointedly at Killian.

Emma followed his gaze and saw the other man watching the interaction between Henry and the dog with a sheepish look on his face. The pieces began to click together and she asked, “Wait a minute - is Norman the dog you’re renting today?”

“Aye,” Killian confirmed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Looks like we’re here for the same dog.”

“But you called him by another name,” Emma continued.

“He’s the dog I’ve rented every time and he just doesn’t seem like a Norman to me, so I started calling him Winston,” Killian explained.

All three adults stood looking at the whirlwind of fur jumping all over Henry, who was giggling so much, he could hardly catch his breath.

Finally, Killian spoke. “It seems as though Win-, I mean, Norman, has made his choice. Please let Henry and…his mother have the dog today, Dave.”

“Emma,” she informed him. “My name is Emma Swan, and you don’t have to do that. You had him reserved first. Besides, Henry needs to learn he can’t always have his way.”

“I wouldn’t be able to enjoy my time with the dog, knowing how sad it would make Henry,” Killian responded. He took a step forward and offered Emma his hand to shake. “I’m Killian Jones, by the way. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Emma.”

As they shook hands, David cleared his throat. “Um, I have an idea of how to work this out. It’s a nice day, so why don’t all of you take Norman to the dog park together?”

Emma and Killian both whipped their heads around to stare at him. He seemed to shrink back a bit before stammering, “I mean, that way you could all spend time with him and get to know each other at the same time. You’ve been saying you’d like to meet more people in Storybrooke, Killian, and that’s where Henry and Emma live.” Looking at Emma, he added, “I’ve gotten to know Killian pretty well because he sings in the church choir with me and Mary Margaret. He’s a good guy.”

Emma slowly turned her eyes back to the very handsome man whose hand she suddenly realized she was still holding. She dropped it quickly, as she felt a blush heating her cheeks. Then she looked at Henry, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor with Norman sprawled across his lap. He was looking up at her with hope in his eyes.

Meeting Killian’s gaze once again, she asked, “What do you think?”

“I don’t want to put you in an uncomfortable position, Emma.”

“You wouldn’t have to go all the way back into Storybrooke,” David said. “There’s a small dog park at the end of the walking path, where a lot of people take dogs they’re thinking of adopting.”

“Please, Mom?” Henry pleaded. “Norman would like that, wouldn’t you, boy?”

Emma took a look at the pair and groaned, “It’s bad enough when you use the puppy dog eyes on me, kid. Now you’ve got the dog doing it, too.”

Killian chuckled lowly, the sound of it making Emma’s stomach flip in a very pleasant way. “I would hate to disappoint the two of them, so I’m game if you are, lass.”

Emma chewed her lip in contemplation for a few seconds, before saying, “Okay, but on one condition - you let me pay half of the rental fee.”

“I already paid the fee online,” Killian said.

“So did I, so I guess that takes care of that.”

“Not really,” David said. “You both paid, but you’re only renting one dog. I should reimburse each of you half of the fee.”

“Keep it,” Emma and Killian answered at the same time, then both laughed.

“The shelter can always use a little extra money, can’t it, Mr. Nolan?” Emma asked.

“Please call me David. And of course we can, if you’re both sure you don’t mind.”

As soon as they affirmed their answer, David walked around the counter and picked up the end of the leash. Handing it to Emma, he said, “In that case, Norman-slash-Winston is yours for the next four hours. You can bring him back sooner, if you like, but I’m sure he’s going to love getting out for a while. Oh, and if you get hungry, there’s usually a couple of food trucks near the dog park on Saturdays. Have fun!”

Emma and Killian thanked him, then went out the door with Norman straining at the leash, and Henry skipping along beside him. They quickly found the sign marking the path and started walking it.

After several paces, Killian turned to Emma and asked, “Is it me, or do you feel like David just set us up?”

“One hundred percent,” Emma laughed.

“How long have you known him?”

“David?” she questioned. At his hum of affirmation, she said, “Henry and I rented Norman three weeks ago and that was the first time I met him. David, I mean, not Norman. Well, it was the first time we met Norman, too. His wife is Henry’s teacher. Again, I mean she’s David’s wife, not Norman’s.” She knew she was rambling, but the thought of spending several hours with the gorgeous stranger was making her nervous.

Killian laughed. “That’s a relief. I borrowed Win-, uh, Norman three times and he never once mentioned being married.”

It was Emma’s turn to laugh - mostly because what he said was funny, but also in relief that he responded to her embarrassing prattling with humor, instead of judgment.

“So, if Dave just met you, he probably doesn’t even know if you’re married or dating anyone. That was a little presumptuous of him.”

“Are you fishing for information, Mr. Jones?” Emma teased.

“Killian will do,” he grinned. “And…perhaps?”

Before she could answer, Henry ran back to join them. “Can I take Norman, Mom? He’s walking really well on the leash, so I don’t think he’ll yank my arm out of the socket.”

She looked at Killian, who raised an eyebrow with a bemused look on his face.

“That’s something I said when we picked Norman up the last time,” she explained. Handing the loop of the leash to Henry, she said, “Don’t get too far ahead of us, kid.”

“We won’t,” he tossed over his shoulder.

Emma turned her attention back to the man beside her. “To answer your non-question Killian, no, I am not married or dating anyone. It’s just Henry and me, and always has been. When I told his father I thought I might be pregnant, he didn’t even stick around long enough to find out if I was or not.”

Killian absorbed this news for a few moments before responding, “If you don’t mind me saying, it sounds as if the two of you might be better off without someone like that, anyway.”

“Oh, definitely. Henry is more mature at eight than his sperm donor was as an adult. I was young and foolish, but I had to grow up fast once I became a single mother.” She watched her son trying to get Norman to walk beside him, then turned to look at Killian. “Sorry, that is a lot more information than I’m sure you wanted to know.”

“No need to apologize, Emma. I did ask, in a roundabout way.”

“So what’s your story? Did you move here from England, or am I misreading your accent?”

“You got it right,” he chuckled, then took a deep breath. “There was nothing left for me in England. My brother moved here soon after our mother died two years ago, and once I found out my girlfriend was actually a married woman, I needed a fresh start.”

“Ouch,” Emma commented.

“Aye, and now I’ve probably shared more than you wanted to know.”

“We’ll call it even, and promise to talk about much lighter subjects for the rest of the day,” Emma said.

“Deal.”

“You said your brother moved here. Does that mean he lives in Storybrooke?”

“Aye, he followed his heart and it led him straight to this quaint little town.”

“Who does he date, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“He’s engaged to the town librarian, Belle French.”

“Liam is your brother? I guess I should have figured that out since your last name is Jones.”

“It’s a very common name, lass. Yes, Liam is my brother. I gather you know him?”

“Belle is one of my best friends, so I know him through her. She used to babysit for Henry quite often, when I was a waitress at Granny’s.”

“Ah, the famous Granny’s Diner!” Killian exclaimed. “I visit that establishment frequently. She makes the best lasagna.”

“I think you meant to say the best grilled cheese and onion rings,” Emma grinned mischieviously.

“I’ve yet to try those particular delicacies,” he smirked.

“Try them,” she advised. “I guarantee you’ll love them.”

Looking ahead, they saw they were nearing the dog park and picked up their pace. They caught up with Henry and Norman just before reaching the entrance. There were about a half-dozen dogs running around the park, some loose and others on leashes.

“I think it would be a good idea for Mr. Jones to take Norman before we go in,” Emma told Henry. “He’ll be able to control him better if he gets too excited.”

“Okay,” Henry said, willingly handing over the leash.

“Thanks, lad,” Killian smiled.

Henry went through the first gate, holding it open for his mom, followed by Killian and Norman. When they were all in the buffer zone, Henry opened the next gate leading into the main part of the park.

“You’re raising quite the gentleman, Emma,” Killian commented, after he entered with the dog.

“He has his moments.”

They all watched Norman as he began sniffing around excitedly, then pulling on the leash when he noticed the other canines sharing his space. He nearly yanked Killian off of his feet with his enthusiasm to meet new friends.

The next twenty minutes were spent chasing the dog and trying to settle him down. After a few of the other owners left with their animals, Henry found a tennis ball and engaged Norman in a game of fetch. The adults sat on a bench to observe the pair, laughing at the clumsiness of the dog.

Emma noticed Killian rubbing his shoulder. “Alright there, Jones?”

“I think he might have pulled my arm out of the socket, Swan,” he quipped.

“Very funny, smart guy,” she said, making him laugh again. They watched for a few more minutes before Emma asked, “Do you have a job in Storybrooke? I started working at the sheriff’s station three months ago and I don’t remember seeing you around town.”

“I’m an architect. I was able to keep my job with the firm in England by working online and attending meetings with clients and my colleagues via Zoom. All of my time is spent in my office at home. It’s not ideal, but I appreciate my boss being willing to make concessions for me.”

“Do you plan to get a job here eventually?”

“Aye, if I decide to stay.”

“You don’t sound very sure.”

“I’m used to the hustle and bustle of a big city. Living in Storybrooke has been quite an adjustment.”

“I get that. We moved here from Boston when Henry was two. Granny’s granddaughter, Ruby, was our neighbor there, and when she decided to move back, she talked me into coming with her. At first, I had a hard time getting used to the peace and quiet. That was one reason why I adopted Ernie - just to have a little more noise in the house.”

“Ernie?” Killian questioned.

“Oh, he was our dog. We had him for six years, but he died a couple of months ago.” She pulled her phone out of the pouch of her hoodie and swiped to reveal her lock screen. “This is a picture of Henry with him.”

“Beautiful animal,” Killian commented sincerely, taking in the photo of the brown and white spaniel. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

“Thanks,” Emma sighed, locking her phone and returning it to the pocket. “Henry grew up with him and he’s had a really hard time with it. Someone suggested renting a pet from the shelter to help him work through it, and that’s how we ended up renting Norman.”

“They seem to really like each other.”

“Yeah, they got along great the first time. That’s why I signed up to get him again, but I was in a hurry when I filled out the form and forgot to ask for a specific dog.”

“Ah, that explains the mix-up,” Killian remarked.

Another half hour passed while they chatted easily, until Henry came over and flopped down on the ground, quickly joined by Norman. “I’m hungry, Mom. Can we get something to eat?”

“Sure, kid. Put Norman back on his leash and we’ll go find those food trucks Mr. Nolan mentioned.”

They soon located the food trucks just down the sidewalk from the park. After discussing their options, they decided to get pulled pork sandwiches from the barbeque place. It was obvious that people who took their pets to the dog park frequented the food trucks, because each one had bowls of water set out in front of them and containers of dog biscuits on their condiment tables.

While they waited for their food, Henry tried to teach Norman to sit, rewarding him with pieces of the biscuits when he obeyed.

“He’s very good with him,” Killian noted.

“He prays for another dog every night, but our schedule is so busy right now. Plus, it’s such a big responsibility and I’m not sure Henry is ready for it. I might be wrong about that though, seeing how he is with Norman.”

After eating, they followed the sidewalk a little further and spotted a playground. Emma and Killian sat on a bench, with Norman sitting between them as they watched Henry play on the equipment.

“You know, we’ve lived in Storybrooke for six years and I never knew this playground existed,” Emma commented. “We don’t come this way very often, because whenever we go out of town, we take the road going south.”

“It appears to be fairly new,” Killian observed. “Perhaps they constructed it when they built those apartments over there, because they don’t look like they’ve been there very long.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. I remember when they were being constructed a couple of years after we moved here, which means they’re less than five years old.”

They lost sight of Henry for a few seconds when he climbed a ladder up into a tower. Suddenly they heard him shout, “Hey, Mom! Look what I found!” and saw him coming down a twisting slide with his arms over his head, clutching a tattered looking soccer ball.

He landed at the bottom and came running over to them. “Someone must have forgotten this at the top of the tower. Wanna kick it around with me?”

“Sure, kid,” Emma answered, hopping up from the bench. “It looks a bit deflated. Are you sure it’s even going to roll?”

“It’ll be fine,” he assured her. Placing it on the ground, he gave it a kick and watched it roll across the grass. “See?”

A black streak flew past him, with Killian following close behind shouting, “Wins-, I mean, Norman! Come back here!”

The dog ignored him, but stopped when he got to the soccer ball. He was trying to pick it up in his mouth when the three humans reached him. Killian was able to kick it away from him, directly to Emma, who stopped it with her foot, then booted it over to Henry. Norman ran from one to the other, in hot pursuit of the elusive ball.

The ‘keep away’ game kept them entertained for a long time. They ran, shouting instructions to each other and laughing until all of them were completely out of breath. Norman was able to intercept some of their passes, but they always managed to get it away from him before he was able to pick it up and run off.

Finally, Emma declared that she had to take a break. Picking up Norman’s leash, she said, “I think we should take him back to the food trucks to get a drink and buy a couple of bottles of water.”

“Aww, Mom,” Henry complained. “I’m not ready to go yet. Can’t I stay here? Killian will stay with me, won’t you, Killian?”

“First of all, you should call him Mr. Jones, and secondly, you’re putting him on the spot, which isn’t cool,” Emma admonished.

Henry looked appropriately chagrined. “I’m sorry, Mr. Jones.”

“Thank you, Henry, but if I may be so bold, I don’t mind you calling me Killian. That is, if it’s okay with your mother.”

Henry looked to his mom, who considered for a few seconds, then gave him a nod of approval.

Killian put his arm across Henry’s shoulders and walked him the short distance to where Emma was standing. “I’d be happy to go get the water, Emma.” He took the end of Norman’s leash from her. “I’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” she agreed. “If you’re sure you don’t mind.”

While he was gone, Emma sat on the bench watching Henry continue to kick the soccer ball around. Killian and Norman returned a few minutes later, handed her a bottle of water and sat down beside her.

“Do I owe you anything for this?” Emma asked, unscrewing the lid.

“Not at all. I think I can afford to buy a lovely lass a bottle of water.”

She refrained from rolling her eyes at his use of the adjective, still rueing the fact she met such a handsome man while looking like she just rolled out of bed. As she was getting ready to take a drink, Henry kicked the ball and sent it sailing over their head, causing Emma to duck and spill some of the water in her lap.

Henry ran over, stopping in front of her. “Oops. Sorry, Mom. I was trying to kick it at the teeter-totter.”

Emma brushed at the water droplets, looking around to locate the teeter-totter, which was at least twenty feet away from the bench. “Not even close, kid.”

Killian stood up. “Perhaps I could give you some pointers, lad. I was a rather good football player when I was younger .”

Henry’s forehead creased in confusion. “I play soccer, not football.”

Killian chuckled as Emma explained, “Killian grew up in England and over there, soccer is called football. They call what we play ‘American football’, don’t they, Killian?”

“Aye, lass. Sorry to confuse you, Henry.”

“Oh, I never knew that. So, how good were you?”

Killian rubbed a finger behind his ear, ducking his head a bit. “I played in a semi-professional league for a couple of years and actually tried out for a professional club, before I decided to go to Uni and become an architect instead.”

“Wow! Cool!” Henry exclaimed. “You probably know even more about soccer than my coach!”

Emma laughed. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure he knows a bit more than a volunteer coach for a youth league team.” She took the dog’s leash back from Killian. “Norman and I will sit this lesson out.”

Killian attempted to wink at her. “As you wish, Milady. Come on, lad. We’ve got work to do.”

She smiled fondly, watching the two of them passing the ball back and forth for a while, before pulling out her phone to catch up on her social media apps.

When she looked up a few minutes later, she saw Killian giving Henry instructions for controlling the ball as he dribbled it down the field. Apparently, they were using two trees as the goal and Henry was moving toward them quickly, while trying rather unsuccessfully to keep the ball under control. When he kicked it from quite a distance away, the ball hit one of the trees and ricocheted away.

Killian went to retrieve the ball and took it back to where Henry was waiting. He squatted down in front of the boy and began talking to him, gesturing now and then to different parts of the field.

Henry listened intently, nodding once in a while. When Killian finished speaking, he stood up and did a short demonstration of how to move the ball back and forth from foot to foot. Then he patted the boy’s shoulder, walked the ball further away from the trees and set it down.

Henry lined himself up behind the ball and looked up at Killian. After getting a reassuring smile from him, Henry started dribbling the ball across the ground with shorter, more controlled kicks, while Killian jogged beside him, shouting encouragement. This time, he got the ball much closer to the trees, before giving it a powerful kick that sent it shooting right between them.

Killian whooped as Henry raised his arms in victory, giving a triumphant cheer. What Emma saw happen next put a lump in her throat. Henry flung his arms around Killian’s waist, hugging him tightly, and Killian returned the hug, rubbing his hand over her son’s head as he looked down at him with a proud smile on his face.

🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

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