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[trueloveskid]

They've settled nicely into their life as a married couple -- married! That's something she never expected she would be, after the age of twelve when she'd finally given up on the dream of having the family she wanted. But here she is, with a one-year-old son and a husband. A husband who's a huge dork, but he's her huge dork, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

It's gotten easier for her to leave Henry with someone else for awhile (though she'll always worry), and she and Neal have planned a date night. A date night with no specific plans other than dinner. Which they've just come from, and are now strolling hand-in-hand through Rockefeller Plaza. Lights are twinkling, vendors are selling hot chocolate, and just the whole feeling of the place is rather romantic. Or maybe that's just because she was able to take a night off of working on her GED and find the time to come out with Neal.

"So what do you want to do now?"

Comments

[trueloveskid]

"You can do that later," she promises him. Once Henry's asleep for the night, they'll have plenty of time. At least until they're ready for sleep. "What about you? When's the last time you did this?"

[alandwithoutmagic]

"A few years before we met. It was here actually." He'd learned to ice skate on another world but he didn't often talk about his time world hopping. It was too weird and it was his life here that mattered.

"This is better though. I didn't have anyone to ice skate with then."

[trueloveskid]

"Well then it's a good thing that you came to Portland instead of just staying around here ice skating." Her life sure wouldn't be the same if she hadn't met him. She feels like she has a family for the first time in her life, which is huge.

"I'd be a lot more lonely."

[alandwithoutmagic]

"Me too." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek while magically managing not to fall on his face in the process. Neal was a man of many talents and that apparently also included ice skating and kissing.

[trueloveskid]

She can't help but laugh at his attempt, even though it was successful. "Maybe we save that for when we're back home too. I'll make it worth it."

[alandwithoutmagic]

Neal groaned. "You're a hard task master." His hand moved over his heart however he didn't stop smiling.

"I think we're almost out of time." He paused thoughtfully. "Want to try and spin?"

[trueloveskid]

"I'll make it up to you later," she promises as she glides away from him on the ice. "You mean like this?" She follows that up with a spin before skating back over to him.

[alandwithoutmagic]

A low pleasant chuckle rumbled through Neal's chest as he reached out and pulled Emma against him. "Exactly like that."

His arms wrapped around her waist as he smiled at her. They weren't skating in a circle now but they were enough out of the way. "I think you should make it up to me now."

[trueloveskid]

"We have five minutes of skating time left. Would you want to waste that time?"

But she leans forward and kisses him anyway. She's had a hard time resisting him since the moment they met.

Which is probably why she was pregnant at seventeen.

[alandwithoutmagic]

Neal returned the kiss, light and brief, and then rolled his eyes. "Point." Everything in New York was expensive though Neal was fairly skilled at finding where the cheapest of everything was. In this case, there was no cheap ice skating in the city and for $40.00, he was going to enjoy those last five minutes.

His fingers slipped down her arm and then laced through her hand before gently pulling her along with him. Ice glided beneath their feet and while Neal watched where they were going, his eyes were never far from Emma's smile.

Anything was worth seeing that amazing smile.

[trueloveskid]

"Maybe one day that won't matter so much." It's why they're working so hard on things now. In the hope that they can make a better life for Henry.

"Thank you for doing this."

[alandwithoutmagic]

"Yeah." He laughed again. Neal didn't think he'd ever be this happy. "You're worth it." He want to kiss her, to shower her with affection but he let them take a few rounds around the rink before gliding Emma off the ice.

"Christmas lights are up. Let's take the long way home."

[trueloveskid]

"That sounds like the best way to end the evening." She finds a bench to sit on so she can remove the skates and put her own shoes back on. "It's just too bad Henry's missing it."

[alandwithoutmagic]

"We'll take him when he's older." Neal didn't remember things about his childhood since he was five or so and was already planning some awesome family trips for them, even just short walks around New York.

He removed his skates and grabbed Emma's to return them to the counter. "I think I see a hot chocolate vendor over there too."

[trueloveskid]

"Are you planning on talking me in to letting you buy me another drink?" She comes over to him and takes his hand. "I seem to remember how that ended last time."

[alandwithoutmagic]

Neal laughed and shook his head. "It's just hot chocolate. Completely innocent." He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss against her lips. He let his lips linger against hers before pulling back and taking her hand. "Come on. At midnight we'll turn into a pumpkin." He teased, his voice light and warm.

[trueloveskid]

"Uh huh. I remember how that turns out, too." Not that she minds. She wouldn't have let him do any of it if she hadn't wanted it. "That would be a shame. We'd better get going then."

[alandwithoutmagic]

Neal laughed as he guided Emma towards the hot chocolate vendor. It took a second or two since more than a handful of people had gotten off the ice but he purchased them both some of the steaming chocolaty goodness and guided her towards home...

-taking the long way.

[trueloveskid]

"You are determined to make this night last as long as possible, aren't you." Not that she's complaining. They don't get many nights like this anymore, not since Henry was born. She likes it when he's attentive like this.

Which is how they ended up with Henry in the first place.

[alandwithoutmagic]

"Yes I am." He took a sip of the thick chocolaty drink and draped an arm around Emma's shoulders. "It's New York. If it was snowing it'd be perfectly romantic."

[trueloveskid]

She snuggles closer to him and puts an arm around his waist. They can share body heat. "It's cold enough. It could still snow."

[alandwithoutmagic]

"True. I've never been one to bet on the weather." He looked down at her with a warm pleased smile while guiding them through the streets. It's a beautiful night and while he can't see the stars in the city, he knows that they're there.

"Hey Emma, do you want to stay in the city forever??"

[trueloveskid]

"I don't know. I haven't thought about it." Neal seems to have though, or he wouldn't be asking about it. "There are a lot of opportunities for Henry here, opportunities he might not get anywhere else, but it is expensive, and not always the safest."

[alandwithoutmagic]

"I've always wanted to move to a small town. Maybe somewhere near the country." He had grown up in a small town and while he didn't talk about it he had enjoyed it. The city was a safe place from his father, a place he could get lost, but he didn't need to be lost anymore. He had Emma.

"Just think about it. Nothing any time soon. Just curious." He pressed a kiss to her temple and then took another sip of his hot chocolate.

[trueloveskid]

"Maybe." She's going to have to do a lot of thinking about this one. "What would we do there?" Not just in terms of jobs, but just to do things. There's not as much going on in places like that.