The Jolly Swan Surprise.

[itsapirateslife]

Ever since he'd started putting the finishing touches on his boat, Hook had been planning this party. When he realized it would line up perfectly with a certain someone's birthday, the plan was immediately modified.

The food he'd arranged from a local cafe was fairly simple, cut up fruit and vegetables with a variety of different sandwiches and meat pies, as well as some modern snacks like potato chips and the curly fries from the boardwalk. To drink, there was a juice and sodas as well as a fully stocked bar, all courtesy of funds from Hook's new job...not that he'd told anyone he'd gotten a job. It wasn't like there was any piracy to be had in Darrow and he would rather not have to put Emma in the position of having to arrest him.

He'd conspired with Henry, Charming and the others from their realm to make this a surprise for Emma. Some of the food was sitting on the table on deck but must of it was in the galley by the bar. In the center of the table under the deck was a cake made by Henry surrounded by cupcakes (There were some apple tarts, donated by Regina, but that had mysteries disappeared. Overboard. It's what the queen got for trying to clean his boat. It was perfectly clean thank you very much).

Hook had made sure to invite has many of both of their friends as possible and had them all gather on deck at the time Henry was supposed to bring Emma to the docks. There was a drape covering the name on the back of the boat. He was dressed in his pirate best, with his red waist coat and hook polished to a shine as he stood on the dock, two glasses of champagne perched next to him on a post.

[backdated to October 23rd. The boat looks like this yacht though the furnishings inside are much more rustic and only half the cabins have beds, the others are storage. The plumbing and electricity do work, but there are no TVs or anything by way of modern convenience outside of the galley.]

Comments

[infamousdelsin]

Delsin would never miss Emma's birthday. She's the closest thing he has to family here, so as soon as he's heard the news, he knows he's in. He's even got a present for her, tucked in his hoodie pocket. He hopes she likes it, anyway. He looks around, eager to meet the rest of her family and friends here in Darrow.

He's impressed by the ship. That's something he . . . hadn't expected to see, and he laughs a little. "Shit, that thing is gorgeous."

[storybrooke_savior]

"Dels, hey!" Setting her plate loaded with food aside, Emma got up and wrapped her surrogate little brother up in a tight hug. "I didn't know you were coming! Of course I didn't even know there was a thing to be coming to, but I'm glad you made it."

[infamousdelsin]

Delsin grins and hugs her tightly. "Heyyy," he says happily. "Like I'd miss seeing you on your birthday, of all days." He rubs her back as he leans back a little. "Decent day so far? Do I gotta, y'know. Kick anyone's asses?"

[storybrooke_savior]

"Thanks, Delsin." Technically yesterday had been her birthday, but details. "I think everyone's asses are safe," Emma laughed. "It's been a really...really good day."

Still smiling, possibly more than she had since she'd arrived, Emma looped her arm through Delsin's and tugged him with her across the deck. "Come on, get some food, drink, be merry. Apparently it's a party."

[infamousdelsin]

"Cool," he says with a grin. He pulls the gift out of his pocket. "I dunno if I'm supposed to put this on some table, but uh. Here." He hands it over. It's wrapped in blue and brown paisley gift wrap with a silvery blue ribbon tying it off.

[storybrooke_savior]

"Aww, you didn't have to get me anything," Emma insisted, taking the box and giving it a little shake. She glanced around herself, uncertain if the same thing, but shrugged. "I don't actually know, but hey, if it's partially my party, I should be able to open a present if I want to, right?"

She tugged at the ribbon and carefully undid the paper, opened the box with a soft, delight gasp. "Oh my God, Dels! It's gorgeous, I love it!" She hugged him again, then took the bracelet out of the box and put it on. "Thank you!"

[infamousdelsin]

He grins and hugs her. "So, you like it?" he teases. "It was just one of those things, y'know, it kinda reminds me of you." He feels a little bashful, but he's glad she likes it so much. For once, he'd actually put thought into it.

[storybrooke_savior]

"I really, really do," Emma assured him, grinning and giving him another quick hug. It's the thought that matters more to her than anything else, after a lifetime of having none of that--but it's also really pretty. She'll probably wear it every day, or nearly. "For future reference, if you give a girl something wearable and she puts it on right away, she definitely likes it."

Her grin turned teasing as she eased back. "Might be valuable information for you in the future. With a certain girl. Just saying."

[infamousdelsin]

He laughs. "Oh-ho. Wow. Nice, way to just—" He twirls his hand in a circle, finger extended. "Way to just turn that around on me, very smooth." He grins and nudges her with his elbow. "But, uh, I'll keep that in mind."

[storybrooke_savior]

"Eh, needling you about it's not as fun as it used to be," Emma grinned, nudging him back. "You don't get quite as flustered. And it's not easy to tell if you're blushing. That means things are going well?"

[infamousdelsin]

Delsin grins a little wider, a little more bashfully. "Yeah. It's going really well." He smiles and shrugs. "She's really great, Emma. Really sweet. Kinda makes me . . . want to be a better me." He huffs a laugh and presses his hand to his face. "Fuck, was that corny as hell?"

[storybrooke_savior]

"Yeeeaah, yeah it is," Emma drawled, grinning and giving Delsin a quick side-hug. "Sweet, though. Gotta say though, I like default Delsin just fine, he's pretty great. I bet she does too."

[itsapirateslife]

"She is, isn't she?" Hook said as he came to stand beside the man he didn't know. He'd had to conspire with Henry to get Emma's Darrow friends here and he was glad to see some of them turn out. "She's been a lot of work but very worth it. You are a friend of Emma's yes?"

[infamousdelsin]

"Yeah, Delsin, that's me," he says, offering his hand over. He grins at the guy, cheerful and glad for the chance to interact with people important to Emma.

[wanttobeahero]

In the same way that his moms wanted to meet his friends, Henry likes knowing some of the people both of his moms are friends with. Not really to check up on them the way a parent would for their child, but just because...well, he always got along with adults pretty well, and he knows his mom would have cool friends.

Henry sees a face he doesn't recognize, and since he's a friendly kid, he comes over, smiling. "It's pretty cool." And it's named after his mom, which is all...interesting. "You know my mom?" He asks only because he knows Hook was inviting some people that didn't know his mom too well yet, but are friends of his.

[infamousdelsin]

Delsin looks over and down at the kid. "Shit, you're Henry?" he asks, and immediately offers his hand. "Man, your mom never stops talking about you. I'm Delsin." He wants to say that he considers Emma to be a sister, but maybe that's weird to say to her son.

[wanttobeahero]

He looks almost...proud as he nods. Proud to be her son. And he really is, which is something he doesn't think about that much - he is only thirteen, after all - but on her birthday, it gives him some food for thought.

Hearing that his mom talks about him all the time, though, Henry smiles, shaking the man's hand. "Nice to meet you. She talks about me a lot? Only good stuff, right?" He's just...teasing, mostly.

[infamousdelsin]

"Oh man, the best," Delsin assures. And although his tone is teasing, he's also telling the truth. Emma has never said anything negative about Henry in the time he's known her. "She actually got me pretty amped to meet you!"

[wanttobeahero]

A bright grin blossoms on Henry's face, though really, he didn't have any doubt. He loves his mom, and he knows she thinks the world of him. Once she really started letting him in, they've been close ever since.

"Really? It's cool to meet you, too!" He points at the dessert table.

"I made the cake for her. Kind of...lopsided, but hopefully it tastes good. I'm trying to cook and stuff more, especially when my moms are working." He looks at him curiously. "What do you do here, in Darrow?"

[infamousdelsin]

At least Emma has already filled him in about Regina, so the pluralized 'moms' isn't a surprise.

"Do?" he echoes. "Oh, I'm a bouncer, at a club." When he says 'bouncer' he always gets the image of some giant, heavy dude named Bubba with knuckle tattoos. That's about the farthest from Delsin one can get, but still. "I occasionally paint." This is a bit more misleading, but it's not a lie: he paints . . . graffiti.

[wanttobeahero]

He's had a few people get seriously confused about that, but it's so natural to just say moms now.

"A bouncer? Wow, have you ever gotten into any fights? My mom was a bounty hunter before, she totally kicked butt. She probably told you about that, though." He's really, really proud.

"And you paint? I like painting, too."

[infamousdelsin]

Delsin grins at the kid's enthusiasm. It's pretty great. When Henry asks about the amount of fights Delsin might have been in, he can't help but laugh.

"I've gotten into a few fights, sure." Fewer since he'd come here, though. Seemed like every day in Seattle had been one giant fight, from start to finish. A war, or something. But he doesn't let that drag him down. Henry returns to the painting, so Delsin grins.

"Art is a great way to express yourself. Don't let anyone tell you different, got it?"

[wanttobeahero]

"Got it," he nods. "I've been trying out pottery. I guess that's kind of weird for a kid, but I thought it sounded fun to try making stuff. I talked my mom into coming, she's not very good at it, but it was a good effort," he smirks.

"I'm getting better at it, though. Plus, then I can paint it however I want."

[infamousdelsin]

"Hey, we all gotta start somewhere, right?" Delsin agrees. "Pottery is badass, though, Man, don't give up if it's something you love." He grins. He loves seeing people work on art, no matter what form it comes in. Delsin's preferred media are cardboard and spray paint, but he's pretty good at sketching, and his sketchbook is full to prove it.

[wanttobeahero]

Henry enjoys pottery and he wouldn't have given up on it anytime soon, but hearing someone encourage him - someone he's just met - motivates him to stick with it even more.

"Maybe I could show you sometime. And...I could see what you do? We could share."