AU of BEING HAPPY, DAMMIT
May. 7th, 2012 04:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
notinthebookShe's got absolutely no idea what's going on.
Her head is throbbing, her heart is pounding, and she'd just helped Graham break into a grave -- isn't that the kind of thing she'd normally arrest someone for? -- but all she can concentrate on right now is the fact that they're alone in the office and she's just realizing that it's really sort of dark and cozy in here with the lights mainly off, and that his hand is gentle as he cleans up the cut on her forehead, and that she sort of feels like she's never really seen Graham before.
At least, she's never seen him with this accompanying feeling of terrifying happiness.
She's still watching him as he goes to put away the cloth he'd used, and he glances over at her, smiles, slightly, quizzical. "What?"
She doesn't have a good answer for him. It's all too complicated to put into words, but it boils down to one thing, one thought that keeps running around through her head, settling in her heart and making it race, making it feel full almost to bursting.
He picked her. He picked her. She'd pushed him away and gotten mad at him and she hadn't come here to be anything other than a friend and a partner, but then he chose her and changed everything.
When she gets up, she feels like she's moving underwater, but he waits for her, and she can feel her hand going to his shoulder like she's a person in a dream, feels his settle at her waist, and nerves make her smile, make her feel like she's sixteen years old and out in the world for the first time on her own, when she leans up to kiss him.
And it's so sweet, something she never thought she'd ever have for herself, though she doesn't understand the single tear that falls or the way he thanks her, making her smile, a helpless, hopeless, brilliant flash of a smile that cuts through the gloom they're standing in.
"Anytime."
Her head is throbbing, her heart is pounding, and she'd just helped Graham break into a grave -- isn't that the kind of thing she'd normally arrest someone for? -- but all she can concentrate on right now is the fact that they're alone in the office and she's just realizing that it's really sort of dark and cozy in here with the lights mainly off, and that his hand is gentle as he cleans up the cut on her forehead, and that she sort of feels like she's never really seen Graham before.
At least, she's never seen him with this accompanying feeling of terrifying happiness.
She's still watching him as he goes to put away the cloth he'd used, and he glances over at her, smiles, slightly, quizzical. "What?"
She doesn't have a good answer for him. It's all too complicated to put into words, but it boils down to one thing, one thought that keeps running around through her head, settling in her heart and making it race, making it feel full almost to bursting.
He picked her. He picked her. She'd pushed him away and gotten mad at him and she hadn't come here to be anything other than a friend and a partner, but then he chose her and changed everything.
When she gets up, she feels like she's moving underwater, but he waits for her, and she can feel her hand going to his shoulder like she's a person in a dream, feels his settle at her waist, and nerves make her smile, make her feel like she's sixteen years old and out in the world for the first time on her own, when she leans up to kiss him.
And it's so sweet, something she never thought she'd ever have for herself, though she doesn't understand the single tear that falls or the way he thanks her, making her smile, a helpless, hopeless, brilliant flash of a smile that cuts through the gloom they're standing in.
"Anytime."
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Date: 2012-05-11 06:28 pm (UTC)Graham begins to stir, shifting his position, his muscles feeling a little sluggish with sleep and a very satisfying sort of soreness.
He takes a breath and slowly opens his eyes.
Emma is still asleep beside him, her perfect face clear of stress; and the walls she usually keeps close to her chest to protect herself from harm seem to be gone.
He watches her for a moment and allows himself to imagine what could happen beyond this point, something that resembles a future.
It is only out of necessity that Graham carefully disentangles himself from her - so not to disturb her sleep - presses the barest of kisses to her hair, and heads to the bathroom.
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Date: 2012-05-11 06:42 pm (UTC)Turning her head in sudden fear, she reaches for the sheets, only to realize she's alone in the bed. It's a thought that's accompanied by a familiar sinking feeling in her chest, and she sits up, lips pressing together as she considers her next move.
Of course he'd be gone. Graham's...amazing, funny and handsome and kind and smart, smart enough to not get involved too deeply with her. Last night had been rough on him, she can't blame the guy for just surfing along on the complicated mix of emotions brought on by breaking up with Regina and regaining his sense of self.
She should follow his example and get out of here, before she's late to work.
Boy, won't that be fun.
She's half out of bed, searching for any of her clothes that might have ended up in here instead of outside, when she hears water running and footsteps and realizes with a flush of embarrassment just how wrong she'd been.
She still looks kind of abashed by the time he comes back. "Uh, hey," she says, hoping he doesn't notice that she was about to make a break for it.
Whoops.
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Date: 2012-05-11 07:07 pm (UTC)Eyes go from her to the few garments that had somehow ended up in here instead of outside by the door, and then he realizes what could have just happened.
He isn't Sheriff of Storybrooke for nothing, after all.
Mouth pressed into a thin, vaguely amused line, he says, "Good morning.
"Were you planning to go somewhere?"
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Date: 2012-05-11 07:20 pm (UTC)"I mean, I thought, um...you got up already."
And left, but that's pretty clearly not true, considering the wet hair and towel.
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Date: 2012-05-11 07:41 pm (UTC)If there's a little sparkle of amusement in his eyes, well, you can just ignore that.
"I thought I'd let you sleep in a bit," he says easily, running the towel through his hair as he speaks.
"And you looked so peaceful, it really wasn't right to wake you."
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Date: 2012-05-11 08:04 pm (UTC)"Well, that was nice of you," she says, "but now you're well on your way to actually being ready for the day and I'm still in bed. That just makes me look lazy."
Him still being here is great, but it kind of takes this out of the realm of 'things she knows how to deal with' and into something completely new.
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Date: 2012-05-11 08:14 pm (UTC)Consider it ignored.
(Except. Not really.)
Graham lets out a chuckle and approaches the bed - towels and all.
It's strange how comfortable he feels around her, even if they've never actually done this before.
"All right," he says. "We can level the playing field, as they say. I won't start getting ready until you do."
He plops down on his side of the bed, looking relaxed - and a little playful.
It's kind of been a really good morning so far.
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Date: 2012-05-11 08:22 pm (UTC)She wouldn't complain, though it's not like they can just take the day off.
As much as she'd like to.
She likes that playful hint to his expression, kind of wants to see if she can tease it out a little further. "Besides, I basically just have to get dressed."
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Date: 2012-05-11 08:51 pm (UTC)He grins too, leaning over to kiss her still-bare shoulder.
"Then we've got plenty of time."
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Date: 2012-05-11 11:22 pm (UTC)"Oh yeah?"
Leaning to meet him, she slips her hand to settle at his jaw and kisses him, feeling all her fears slide away into nothing but happy contentment.
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Date: 2012-05-11 11:58 pm (UTC)And technically he makes the rules anyway.
Graham smiles a little against her mouth before a new sense of intensity settles into their kiss.
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Date: 2012-05-12 12:08 am (UTC)It's probably not a good idea to get involved. They work together, they're friends, but when she falls into his arms, they're so much more than that, a whole world of possibility opening up that she's never even considered before.
Believing him isn't just about the curse, or the Huntsman, or Regina. It's about being sure he'll still be there in the morning.
She'd say he's off to a good start.