Fic: Whenever I'm Alone (With You) part 1
Title: Whenever I'm Alone (With You) part 1
Author: kathrynthegr8
Fandom: Once Upon A Time
Rating: pg-13
Pairings/Characters: Emma/Gold
Warnings: language and mentions of sex
Word count: 2k
Disclaimer: I do not own anything you see here. No infringement is intended.
A/N: Written for a prompt over on ouatkinkmeme. Many thanks to missbreese for the beta work and detafo for the feedback. All remaining mistakes are mine. (And if you spot any please comment and let me know.)
The Prompt: Amazingly enough, Mr. Gold's a fantastic lover. He's smart, funny, charming when the mood strikes, knows when to give space, very discrete, amazing in bed and, away from prying eyes, surprisingly okay with cuddling. But there's one quirk that's getting old fast: he never lets them stay the night. He rationalizes it as him being "a private man," but when he dozes off in the shop one afternoon, his lover learns the real reason.
He has screaming night terrors.
“It pains me to say this, but you need to leave.”
Emma’s eyes opened wide, no small feat since she was the more relaxed than she could recall in recent memory. As if it wasn’t bad enough that she was in his bed, after being fucked within an inch of her life and coming no less than three times at the command of his talented mouth. And fingers. And…
She forced herself to sit up and nonchalantly search for her clothes. Her bra had to be here somewhere. Maybe under the bed.
“No problem. I have to get up early anyway and I wouldn’t want Mary Margaret worrying if I didn’t come home.” She didn’t meet his eyes and said a silent prayer of thanks when she encountered her bra on the bedside lamp. She was tempted to switch the light off and slink away in the dark. Damn him for making her feel this, whatever it was. For making her feel anything at all.
He shifted in the bed and grabbed her hand, his grip circling her wrist as he pulled her back towards him until her knees bent and she was on the mattress. “Emma, love, I mean no offense. I just think it best if no one sees you leaving my house in the morning. Especially when you arrived the night before.”
It still surprised her how different he was in private. His voice was softer; everything about him was, really. What did she care anyway? It wasn’t like she was his girlfriend or anything. Not like she would want to be. Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart. Her inner voice mocked her, but she could ignore it.
“Not a big deal, although I think its gallant that you care so much for my reputation.” She fastened her bra and he dropped his hand releasing her. Her shirt was draped across the headboard and she reached for it, buttoning it quickly without looking up. “Have you seen my underwear?”
She was not blushing dammit. Not after what they had done, and not after what he had said. Emma felt her skin prickle from her scalp to her toes and knew she was lying to herself. This was just sex, a simple transaction between, wait. What the hell were they? Friends? Hardly. More like acquaintances that kept getting thrown together by circumstance. And had fantastic sex her inner voice reminded her. She told it to shut up and tried to remember where she’d left her jeans. Probably on the stairs…
“I’m afraid they’re a lost cause.” His voice was closer, forcing her to glance at him.
“Huh?” She didn’t want to stare at him with what must have been a dumbstruck look on her face, but she had no idea what he was talking about.
He licked his lips and held up her underwear. “Your knickers. I apologize. I didn’t realize… when I pulled them off.” He spread the scant material in his fingers and smiled. They were torn down one side and the lace trim was unraveling. “I’ll replace them of course.”
“Oh!” Emma stood up and ran her fingers through her hair. “That’s um… No big deal. Don’t worry about it.” She turned to go, pulling her shirt in a vain attempt to cover her exposed butt.
“Well, I’ll…” She stammered, wanting to run for the door and never look back.
“Wait, I’ll walk you out.” The bed linens rustled with his movement.
Emma distinctly remembered that he dropped his cane when he grabbed her at the foot of the stairs. The thought of him hobbling to catch up with her to escort her out of his house would haunt her forever.
“No, don’t. The rest of my clothes are downstairs. I’ll get dressed and go.” She ran from the room, taking the steps two by two and scooping up her pants on the way down. Emma couldn’t remember moving so fast in her life, and she had chased a fair share of criminals in her time.
The cold air hit her face and took her breath away. She was fairly certain she could hear his voice calling behind her, but she shut the door with a satisfying click, hopefully closing the mistake she had just made inside.
“Fuck you, Mr. Gold.” She breathed out in a plume of vapor. You already did, didn’t you? That damned voice again. Now if she could just get it to shut up.
---
Mary Margaret had remained blissfully unaware of Emma’s walk of shame, not bothering to put down the book she was reading when Emma finally made it home.
“How was your day?” Mary Margaret asked, flipping a page.
“Fine.” She answered and headed toward the bathroom. “It’s freezing outside, I’m going to take a shower and warm up.”
Mary Margaret finally looked up, her brow furrowed. “Everything okay? You look different.”
“I’m fine. Everything’s fine.” Emma didn’t want to snap at her friend, but the subject was closed. “Just a long day and I’m cold and tired.”
“I’m sorry.” Mary Margaret frowned and carefully placed a bookmark between the pages of her book before setting it aside, giving Emma her full attention. “Are you hungry? There are leftovers.”
Emma sighed and shrugged out of her hat and jacket. “Not really. I ate earlier.”
“At Granny’s?”
“Yeah. David was there. Has he called you?” Emma figured if she steered the conversation towards David and Mary Margaret’s star crossed love and the reappearance of Katherine she would be safe.
“No. And I don’t expect him to. This whole thing just proved to me that everything with David was a mistake. A huge mistake.” She nodded her head to punctuate the point. “That’s the last time I let ‘true love’ ruin my life.”
“Amen to that.” Emma agreed. But hearing such cynical talk was disturbing when Mary Margaret said it. She was an eternal optimist. And that was something Emma had come to count on, whether she liked it or not.
“So. Anything interesting happen to you today?” Her roommate commanded her full attention and she flopped down on the couch.
Oh, you know. Had sex all afternoon with a man I thought I loathed…
“Nothing out of the ordinary.” She answered. “I questioned Katherine again today. She still has no memory after her car crashed. And no idea where she was for all that time.”
“And the heart in the box?”
“I haven’t been able to get the lab on the phone, but it had to be a mistake.”
Mary Margaret nodded in agreement. “I’m just glad it’s over.”
“You and me both. Too many strange things happening in this town.”
“And I need to thank Mr. Gold for being my attorney. I get the feeling that no one else in town would have stepped up.”
At the sound of his name Emma felt her cheeks flush pink. “How many attorneys are there here?” She asked nonchalantly.
“A couple. Not that I could afford one anyway. And I’m pretty sure Regina would have used her influence to keep them away from the case.” Mary Margaret frowned. “I still don’t know why she hates me so much.”
Emma shook her head. “Me either, but we seem to be in the same club.”
“Well at least we are in good company.” Mary Margaret smiled.
Emma got up from the couch reluctantly, happy that she had successfully hidden her recent escapades from her friend. Now if only she could forget. Maybe the water would erase his memory as surely as it would wash away the smell of his skin. Maybe if she scrubbed hard enough. If not there was always drinking. Good to know she had alternatives.
---
The small package was sitting on her desk when she entered the sheriff’s office in the morning. It was expertly wrapped in black gift wrap and it took Emma several attempts to open it. Nestled inside layers of tissue paper was the most exquisite pair of pink panties Emma had ever seen. In the bottom of the box was a note addressed to her:
I promise to be more careful with these. -G
Before she could think better of it she was smiling. He was a presumptuous asshole, yes. But Emma realized she was relieved. At least now she knew he was still interested in her. Not that she was interested in him. Not at all.
“Am I interrupting something?”
Emma dropped the underwear into the box like it burned her. “Can I help you, Regina?”
“Those are nice. La Perla?” Regina smiled. It reminded Emma of a shark.
“What?” Emma opened a drawer and dropped the box into its depths.
“Are those evidence or do you have an admirer?” Regina continued. “Whatever the case I think they are inappropriate to have lying about. This is a professional office, or did you forget?”
“Why are you here?” Emma regained her composure and stood straighter, putting her hands on her hips. “I take it this isn’t a social call?’
Regina narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. “I’m updating you on Katherine’s condition. The doctors have decided to release her into the care of her husband.”
“Well, that’s good news. But I could have heard that from her. The investigation into her disappearance is still open.”
“That’s why I’m here. “ Regina took a step forward, invading Emma’s pace. “Close it. Katherine doesn’t remember anything, and what she needs now is time to heal.”
“You’re such a good friend for asking.” Emma forced her voice to hide the derision she felt. “But I have a job to do. I need to know if there was any foul play. If anyone hurt her.”
“Those sound reasonable, and while I appreciate that you’re trying to be a good sheriff, I can assure you that the best thing for everyone involved is if you dropped it.”
Emma didn’t miss the veiled threat in the mayor’s words. If Emma pursued this Regina would be sure to implicate Mary Margaret in whatever she discovered. She hated to admit it, but Regina was probably right.
“I’ll back off Katherine, give her some time. For now.”
“I appreciate it, Sheriff Swan.” Regina tapped her nails on Emma’s desk. “I’ll leave you to your work.”
Not for the first time Emma wished vehemently that she had never met the Mayor of Storybrooke, she was thrilled to have reconnected with her son Henry, but his evil adopted mother was so much more than she had bargained for.
---
“Are you still here?” Emma couldn’t believe Mary Margaret was still at home. It was a Saturday and her roommate was always out volunteering or doing some other activity on the weekends.
Mary Margaret glanced up from the TV, “Yeah, I didn’t feel like leaving the house today.”
That in itself wasn’t alarming, but one look at what Mary Margaret was watching put Emma on edge.
“You’re watching Bridezillas? Good Lord, why?” She grabbed a can of diet soda from the refrigerator and joined the other woman on the sofa.
“What? I like this show. It’s funny.” Mar Margaret crossed her arms and sat back. “Besides, it’s a reminder that love and marriage isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I mean, would you marry her?”
Emma wrinkled her nose when the bride on the screen threw a bouquet of flowers at her groom and stormed out of the church where the wedding was being held. “No. But that doesn’t mean anything. These shows can hardly be construed as reality, Mary Margaret. They probably goad these poor women into being dramatic too. Otherwise they wouldn’t get these shots.”
“No, I don’t think so. These are real people and real relationships. They just aren’t afraid to show the ugly side.”
“Why don’t we turn this off and go out for dinner? The change of scenery would do you good.” Emma reached for the remote.
“No, I’m fine.” Mary Margaret frowned and returned her attention to the show.
Emma’s internal lie detector was shrieking at the lie, unfortunately she didn’t think confronting Mary Margaret with the truth would help much. What her roommate needed now was the support of a friend.
“Okay, we’ll order in. Chinese or Italian?” She put her arm around Mary Margaret and leaned her head on her shoulder. “I’m dying to see if this wedding even takes place.”
“Oh it will, I’ve been watching all day. It’s a Bridezilla marathon. So far all the couples go through with the weddings. It’s amazing.”
Emma rolled her eyes at the thought of hours of brides behaving badly that awaited them. “How so?” She didn’t think anything about it was remarkable, let alone amazing.
“Even with all the drama and things that go wrong people still want to believe in true love.” She sighed and grabbed the remote from Emma, turning up the volume.
“Either that or they all know they won’t get their deposits back.” Emma smirked, but she didn’t think Mary Margaret heard her.
---
On Monday there was another package on her desk. This time it was a steaming cup of coffee and a plate wrapped in a bright red cloth napkin. It smelled amazing and Emma’s stomach growled loudly, reminding her that she had yet to eat this morning. Lately she had been skipping meals, not wanting to run into Mr. Gold at the diner.
The plate contained an omelet, toast, and fresh fruit. Someone had arranged the whole thing to look like a smiling face. Emma cringed even as she searched for a fork and prepared to dig in.
There was a note under the silverware:
Stop avoiding me. Not eating is bad for your health. -G
Emma crumpled up the note and tossed it in the trash can. So he had missed seeing her at Granny’s. Big deal. It was creepy that he thought she was going hungry because of him. Creepy and very accurate. The bastard. The food was excellent, and not from the diner either. She couldn’t help the pleased smile that quirked her lips or the warmth that spread through her body as she polished off her breakfast.
This wasn’t going to work. She didn’t even know his first name, and Emma didn’t have relationships. Well, that’s not entirely true now, is it? Her inner voice perked up. No, it wasn’t she conceded. Since coming to Storybrooke she had several relationships. Her friendships with Mary Margaret and Ruby were notable, and then there was Henry. She was his mother and she had to admit that she was finally starting to feel like one. Whether or not she would fill that role permanently was yet to be seen. But she was here now. And she loved him, and that alone held huge meaning for her. Still, those were not anything like having a boyfriend. Emma rolled the word around in her mouth, tasting it as she sipped coffee and checked her messages.
She wasn’t in the market for a romantic relationship, and she didn’t delude herself into thinking that Gold was offering. It wasn’t like she had a great track record anyway. Before him the last guy she’d kissed died of a heart attack. She couldn’t even look at an attractive man without worrying what her interest might cost him.
And so far it had worked. She’d successfully pushed August away, and last she’d seen he was chatting up Ruby. She wished them all the best. Because no one would want to put up with her messy life and she didn’t blame them. By rejecting them first she was saving everyone heartache in the end. At least that’s what she convinced herself.
But then there was Gold. Something told her that he wasn’t going to leave her alone anytime soon. And with the favor she still owed him hanging over her head she knew that he was holding all the cards. She just had to wait and see what hand he played.
***
AN2: I hate writing WIPs, but with school right now I don't have all the time I need to devote to this story. I have started writing the second part and if all goes well I'll have it posted before the next episode airs. Thanks for reading!
Author: kathrynthegr8
Fandom: Once Upon A Time
Rating: pg-13
Pairings/Characters: Emma/Gold
Warnings: language and mentions of sex
Word count: 2k
Disclaimer: I do not own anything you see here. No infringement is intended.
A/N: Written for a prompt over on ouatkinkmeme. Many thanks to missbreese for the beta work and detafo for the feedback. All remaining mistakes are mine. (And if you spot any please comment and let me know.)
The Prompt: Amazingly enough, Mr. Gold's a fantastic lover. He's smart, funny, charming when the mood strikes, knows when to give space, very discrete, amazing in bed and, away from prying eyes, surprisingly okay with cuddling. But there's one quirk that's getting old fast: he never lets them stay the night. He rationalizes it as him being "a private man," but when he dozes off in the shop one afternoon, his lover learns the real reason.
He has screaming night terrors.
“It pains me to say this, but you need to leave.”
Emma’s eyes opened wide, no small feat since she was the more relaxed than she could recall in recent memory. As if it wasn’t bad enough that she was in his bed, after being fucked within an inch of her life and coming no less than three times at the command of his talented mouth. And fingers. And…
She forced herself to sit up and nonchalantly search for her clothes. Her bra had to be here somewhere. Maybe under the bed.
“No problem. I have to get up early anyway and I wouldn’t want Mary Margaret worrying if I didn’t come home.” She didn’t meet his eyes and said a silent prayer of thanks when she encountered her bra on the bedside lamp. She was tempted to switch the light off and slink away in the dark. Damn him for making her feel this, whatever it was. For making her feel anything at all.
He shifted in the bed and grabbed her hand, his grip circling her wrist as he pulled her back towards him until her knees bent and she was on the mattress. “Emma, love, I mean no offense. I just think it best if no one sees you leaving my house in the morning. Especially when you arrived the night before.”
It still surprised her how different he was in private. His voice was softer; everything about him was, really. What did she care anyway? It wasn’t like she was his girlfriend or anything. Not like she would want to be. Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart. Her inner voice mocked her, but she could ignore it.
“Not a big deal, although I think its gallant that you care so much for my reputation.” She fastened her bra and he dropped his hand releasing her. Her shirt was draped across the headboard and she reached for it, buttoning it quickly without looking up. “Have you seen my underwear?”
She was not blushing dammit. Not after what they had done, and not after what he had said. Emma felt her skin prickle from her scalp to her toes and knew she was lying to herself. This was just sex, a simple transaction between, wait. What the hell were they? Friends? Hardly. More like acquaintances that kept getting thrown together by circumstance. And had fantastic sex her inner voice reminded her. She told it to shut up and tried to remember where she’d left her jeans. Probably on the stairs…
“I’m afraid they’re a lost cause.” His voice was closer, forcing her to glance at him.
“Huh?” She didn’t want to stare at him with what must have been a dumbstruck look on her face, but she had no idea what he was talking about.
He licked his lips and held up her underwear. “Your knickers. I apologize. I didn’t realize… when I pulled them off.” He spread the scant material in his fingers and smiled. They were torn down one side and the lace trim was unraveling. “I’ll replace them of course.”
“Oh!” Emma stood up and ran her fingers through her hair. “That’s um… No big deal. Don’t worry about it.” She turned to go, pulling her shirt in a vain attempt to cover her exposed butt.
“Well, I’ll…” She stammered, wanting to run for the door and never look back.
“Wait, I’ll walk you out.” The bed linens rustled with his movement.
Emma distinctly remembered that he dropped his cane when he grabbed her at the foot of the stairs. The thought of him hobbling to catch up with her to escort her out of his house would haunt her forever.
“No, don’t. The rest of my clothes are downstairs. I’ll get dressed and go.” She ran from the room, taking the steps two by two and scooping up her pants on the way down. Emma couldn’t remember moving so fast in her life, and she had chased a fair share of criminals in her time.
The cold air hit her face and took her breath away. She was fairly certain she could hear his voice calling behind her, but she shut the door with a satisfying click, hopefully closing the mistake she had just made inside.
“Fuck you, Mr. Gold.” She breathed out in a plume of vapor. You already did, didn’t you? That damned voice again. Now if she could just get it to shut up.
---
Mary Margaret had remained blissfully unaware of Emma’s walk of shame, not bothering to put down the book she was reading when Emma finally made it home.
“How was your day?” Mary Margaret asked, flipping a page.
“Fine.” She answered and headed toward the bathroom. “It’s freezing outside, I’m going to take a shower and warm up.”
Mary Margaret finally looked up, her brow furrowed. “Everything okay? You look different.”
“I’m fine. Everything’s fine.” Emma didn’t want to snap at her friend, but the subject was closed. “Just a long day and I’m cold and tired.”
“I’m sorry.” Mary Margaret frowned and carefully placed a bookmark between the pages of her book before setting it aside, giving Emma her full attention. “Are you hungry? There are leftovers.”
Emma sighed and shrugged out of her hat and jacket. “Not really. I ate earlier.”
“At Granny’s?”
“Yeah. David was there. Has he called you?” Emma figured if she steered the conversation towards David and Mary Margaret’s star crossed love and the reappearance of Katherine she would be safe.
“No. And I don’t expect him to. This whole thing just proved to me that everything with David was a mistake. A huge mistake.” She nodded her head to punctuate the point. “That’s the last time I let ‘true love’ ruin my life.”
“Amen to that.” Emma agreed. But hearing such cynical talk was disturbing when Mary Margaret said it. She was an eternal optimist. And that was something Emma had come to count on, whether she liked it or not.
“So. Anything interesting happen to you today?” Her roommate commanded her full attention and she flopped down on the couch.
Oh, you know. Had sex all afternoon with a man I thought I loathed…
“Nothing out of the ordinary.” She answered. “I questioned Katherine again today. She still has no memory after her car crashed. And no idea where she was for all that time.”
“And the heart in the box?”
“I haven’t been able to get the lab on the phone, but it had to be a mistake.”
Mary Margaret nodded in agreement. “I’m just glad it’s over.”
“You and me both. Too many strange things happening in this town.”
“And I need to thank Mr. Gold for being my attorney. I get the feeling that no one else in town would have stepped up.”
At the sound of his name Emma felt her cheeks flush pink. “How many attorneys are there here?” She asked nonchalantly.
“A couple. Not that I could afford one anyway. And I’m pretty sure Regina would have used her influence to keep them away from the case.” Mary Margaret frowned. “I still don’t know why she hates me so much.”
Emma shook her head. “Me either, but we seem to be in the same club.”
“Well at least we are in good company.” Mary Margaret smiled.
Emma got up from the couch reluctantly, happy that she had successfully hidden her recent escapades from her friend. Now if only she could forget. Maybe the water would erase his memory as surely as it would wash away the smell of his skin. Maybe if she scrubbed hard enough. If not there was always drinking. Good to know she had alternatives.
---
The small package was sitting on her desk when she entered the sheriff’s office in the morning. It was expertly wrapped in black gift wrap and it took Emma several attempts to open it. Nestled inside layers of tissue paper was the most exquisite pair of pink panties Emma had ever seen. In the bottom of the box was a note addressed to her:
I promise to be more careful with these. -G
Before she could think better of it she was smiling. He was a presumptuous asshole, yes. But Emma realized she was relieved. At least now she knew he was still interested in her. Not that she was interested in him. Not at all.
“Am I interrupting something?”
Emma dropped the underwear into the box like it burned her. “Can I help you, Regina?”
“Those are nice. La Perla?” Regina smiled. It reminded Emma of a shark.
“What?” Emma opened a drawer and dropped the box into its depths.
“Are those evidence or do you have an admirer?” Regina continued. “Whatever the case I think they are inappropriate to have lying about. This is a professional office, or did you forget?”
“Why are you here?” Emma regained her composure and stood straighter, putting her hands on her hips. “I take it this isn’t a social call?’
Regina narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. “I’m updating you on Katherine’s condition. The doctors have decided to release her into the care of her husband.”
“Well, that’s good news. But I could have heard that from her. The investigation into her disappearance is still open.”
“That’s why I’m here. “ Regina took a step forward, invading Emma’s pace. “Close it. Katherine doesn’t remember anything, and what she needs now is time to heal.”
“You’re such a good friend for asking.” Emma forced her voice to hide the derision she felt. “But I have a job to do. I need to know if there was any foul play. If anyone hurt her.”
“Those sound reasonable, and while I appreciate that you’re trying to be a good sheriff, I can assure you that the best thing for everyone involved is if you dropped it.”
Emma didn’t miss the veiled threat in the mayor’s words. If Emma pursued this Regina would be sure to implicate Mary Margaret in whatever she discovered. She hated to admit it, but Regina was probably right.
“I’ll back off Katherine, give her some time. For now.”
“I appreciate it, Sheriff Swan.” Regina tapped her nails on Emma’s desk. “I’ll leave you to your work.”
Not for the first time Emma wished vehemently that she had never met the Mayor of Storybrooke, she was thrilled to have reconnected with her son Henry, but his evil adopted mother was so much more than she had bargained for.
---
“Are you still here?” Emma couldn’t believe Mary Margaret was still at home. It was a Saturday and her roommate was always out volunteering or doing some other activity on the weekends.
Mary Margaret glanced up from the TV, “Yeah, I didn’t feel like leaving the house today.”
That in itself wasn’t alarming, but one look at what Mary Margaret was watching put Emma on edge.
“You’re watching Bridezillas? Good Lord, why?” She grabbed a can of diet soda from the refrigerator and joined the other woman on the sofa.
“What? I like this show. It’s funny.” Mar Margaret crossed her arms and sat back. “Besides, it’s a reminder that love and marriage isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I mean, would you marry her?”
Emma wrinkled her nose when the bride on the screen threw a bouquet of flowers at her groom and stormed out of the church where the wedding was being held. “No. But that doesn’t mean anything. These shows can hardly be construed as reality, Mary Margaret. They probably goad these poor women into being dramatic too. Otherwise they wouldn’t get these shots.”
“No, I don’t think so. These are real people and real relationships. They just aren’t afraid to show the ugly side.”
“Why don’t we turn this off and go out for dinner? The change of scenery would do you good.” Emma reached for the remote.
“No, I’m fine.” Mary Margaret frowned and returned her attention to the show.
Emma’s internal lie detector was shrieking at the lie, unfortunately she didn’t think confronting Mary Margaret with the truth would help much. What her roommate needed now was the support of a friend.
“Okay, we’ll order in. Chinese or Italian?” She put her arm around Mary Margaret and leaned her head on her shoulder. “I’m dying to see if this wedding even takes place.”
“Oh it will, I’ve been watching all day. It’s a Bridezilla marathon. So far all the couples go through with the weddings. It’s amazing.”
Emma rolled her eyes at the thought of hours of brides behaving badly that awaited them. “How so?” She didn’t think anything about it was remarkable, let alone amazing.
“Even with all the drama and things that go wrong people still want to believe in true love.” She sighed and grabbed the remote from Emma, turning up the volume.
“Either that or they all know they won’t get their deposits back.” Emma smirked, but she didn’t think Mary Margaret heard her.
---
On Monday there was another package on her desk. This time it was a steaming cup of coffee and a plate wrapped in a bright red cloth napkin. It smelled amazing and Emma’s stomach growled loudly, reminding her that she had yet to eat this morning. Lately she had been skipping meals, not wanting to run into Mr. Gold at the diner.
The plate contained an omelet, toast, and fresh fruit. Someone had arranged the whole thing to look like a smiling face. Emma cringed even as she searched for a fork and prepared to dig in.
There was a note under the silverware:
Stop avoiding me. Not eating is bad for your health. -G
Emma crumpled up the note and tossed it in the trash can. So he had missed seeing her at Granny’s. Big deal. It was creepy that he thought she was going hungry because of him. Creepy and very accurate. The bastard. The food was excellent, and not from the diner either. She couldn’t help the pleased smile that quirked her lips or the warmth that spread through her body as she polished off her breakfast.
This wasn’t going to work. She didn’t even know his first name, and Emma didn’t have relationships. Well, that’s not entirely true now, is it? Her inner voice perked up. No, it wasn’t she conceded. Since coming to Storybrooke she had several relationships. Her friendships with Mary Margaret and Ruby were notable, and then there was Henry. She was his mother and she had to admit that she was finally starting to feel like one. Whether or not she would fill that role permanently was yet to be seen. But she was here now. And she loved him, and that alone held huge meaning for her. Still, those were not anything like having a boyfriend. Emma rolled the word around in her mouth, tasting it as she sipped coffee and checked her messages.
She wasn’t in the market for a romantic relationship, and she didn’t delude herself into thinking that Gold was offering. It wasn’t like she had a great track record anyway. Before him the last guy she’d kissed died of a heart attack. She couldn’t even look at an attractive man without worrying what her interest might cost him.
And so far it had worked. She’d successfully pushed August away, and last she’d seen he was chatting up Ruby. She wished them all the best. Because no one would want to put up with her messy life and she didn’t blame them. By rejecting them first she was saving everyone heartache in the end. At least that’s what she convinced herself.
But then there was Gold. Something told her that he wasn’t going to leave her alone anytime soon. And with the favor she still owed him hanging over her head she knew that he was holding all the cards. She just had to wait and see what hand he played.
***
AN2: I hate writing WIPs, but with school right now I don't have all the time I need to devote to this story. I have started writing the second part and if all goes well I'll have it posted before the next episode airs. Thanks for reading!