Just when it all seems to be going so right (Closed)

[sheriffwolf]

Who: Bigby and Mary Margaret
Where: In the Coffee Shop
When: Wednesday before the event (6/25)
Rating: PG and S for sobs
Summary: Mary Margaret remembers who she is and has to break the news to Bigby
The Story:

[Bigby finds himself humming as he walks up to the coffee shop. He hasn't seen Mary Margaret in a few days, not since they're last meeting at the coffee shop. He has to admit that he really likes being around her. For as crazy as Wonderland is, Mary Margaret makes him feel like coming home. It's not fair to call her Snow White. Snow is a different person than Mary Margaret but there are so many similarities that he reasons his Snow at home wouldn't mind that he was growing closer to Mary Margaret. Hell, she might even encourage it seeing as she's told him countless times that he is barking up the wrong tree. Mary Margaret doesn't make him feel like that and it's refreshing.

He puts out his cigarette long before he reaches the shop. He smokes less when she is around. The scents of Wonderland usually threaten to make him sick but her scent, well, he could surround himself with it all day. So familiar but with just a touch of cinnamon. It's what makes Mary Margret different and he likes it. Really likes it.

Bigby is happy to see that he is the first to arrive. He stands outside the door of the coffee shop and waits, unable to rid himself of the smile on his face that seems to appear whenever Mary Margaret pops into his head.

Bigby has it bad and he hopes it's a mutual feeling.]

Comments

[cinnamonie]

[ the last few days for mary margaret - or, no. it's snow. it's always been snow. she can just remember that, now. remember the years she spent in the enchanted forest, remember regina, her father. remember being labeled an outlaw and sent to live in the forest. remember the dwarves, stealing riches to give to her people, her people, and charming. oh god, how she remembers charming, and it's like a part of her has been ripped out of her chest, left open and gaping and torn.

she misses him painfully, terribly, more than she ever thought she could. it's most likely in light of just how long she's been here, in wonderland, of how she saw charming and how she'd reacted in light of him. mary margaret had moved on, completely, had opened her heart up to someone else, to bigby, and now with all her memories and the love she has for charming, the fight in her chest hurts.

and, honestly, that was one of the driving forces as to why it took a few days to send that message. why she couldn't bring herself to even open her phone to call bigby - because she remembers how she felt about him, how the mary margaret side of her felt. it was fast, and it was hard, and it was something she didn't think was possible. has come to realize can't be - she has her true love, she has charming, and charming will find her like he promised he would.

but it's not fair to bigby. she cares about bigby, still, still, and he deserves to know. deserves to kno everything. and while it took her over an hour to finally send that text, she did it. and now she's walking to the same place they had shared before, such a happy memory, that the closer she gets the sicker she feels. not that snow will let that show, holding her head up as she walks, but it's there. rolling in the pit of her stomach like a snake, coiling tighter with nerves. with fear.

she sees him from afar, standing outide the door, and while he can probably notice a slight difference to her walk - more confidence, more intent - she hopes it's not too obvious. she waves, approaching him, giving a small smile. ]

Sorry I'm late.

[sheriffwolf]

[It doesn't take Bigby long to realize that something is different. Without the cigarettes he can pick up a lot more about a person's emotions. Their scent shifts with their mood and he can tell that she's anxious and not in the giddy way that most women get when they see someone they are excited to spend time with. This is a sour smell that Bigby is all too familiar with and it makes him want to frown, pulling the so often seen smile back to the deep frown lines that normally mark his face.

She smells different too. Colder... more like Snow.

He doesn't have a good feeling about this.

Bigby tries anyway. He smiles at her and gives her a little wave, shrugging off her apology.]

Don't worry. I haven't been waiting long. The place looks empty so I think we'll have our pick of tables.

[He holds the door open and gestures her inside.]

After you.

[cinnamonie]

[ she'd probably be a little flattered, if she knew he could tell the difference, but then she'd be a little defensively that she could be read so easily. thankfully, it doesn't come up, so mary margaret just smiles back at him. walks up to the door when he holds it open. ]

That's good.

[ part of her recognizes that, normally, she'd be a bit more talkative. already starting to chat with bigby because it's easy to talk to bigby. that's what her brain is yelling at her. but the other side knows just how much this is going to hurt and can't bring herself back to that simpl giddiness.

so instead, she nods, through the door and waiting inside for him to join her. ]

I think that table by the window looks good.

[sheriffwolf]

[The sinking feeling in his chest grows larger as he follows her over to the table by the window. He wants to ignore his instincts. This is Mary Margaret and he hasn't done anything to make her angry with him. Still, he can sense that something is different and that she's anxious. That doesn't bode well.]

[He sits at the table and shoves all of the worry away from his mind. He'll take whatever comes as it comes. No use getting worked up over nothing.]

It's good to see you. What have you been up to the past few days? Keeping out of trouble?

[He smiles when he says this, knowing full well that Mary Margaret was far from trouble. It's his attempt at lifting the somber mood that seems to hang around them.]

[cinnamonie]

[ she does her best to remain as calm as she can as they make their way over to the table and take their seats. ]

It's good to see you too. [ his question sparks a little more tension in her chest, and she tries to hold it down. tries to not make this any worse than it has to be.

even if his joke does pull a little smile from her, the first one she's had since realizing they needed to have this talk. her eyes go from him to the table, her hands in her lap. she can't even reach for the menu. ]

Bigby- [ too soon? should she wait for food? no. snow takes a breath, pulling herself back to a more serious look as she looks up at him. ] I remember.

[ a beat, where she wonders if that's enough, before: ] Everything.

[sheriffwolf]

[Bigby sat back in his seat and sighed, his fingers twitching as they reached for the pack of smokes in his chest pocket. He pulled them out and played with them, knowing that the coffee shop frowned on smoking. Most people did, especially inside, but he was so used to smoking with a cup of joe that he nearly lit up. It would have given him something to focus on other than her words.]

So, I suppose that means I should call you Snow again. What exactly do you remember? How different are you than... than the Snow that I'm used to?

[Even though Bigby knew there was a difference, that she wasn't the same Snow, that didn't change the fact that they were both Snow White and he was in love.... no, no, not that. He cared for them both just as strongly. Staying away from the 'l' word in the case of both women was far healthier.]

oh my god i'm mortified i thought i responded to this DON'T WORRY WE DON'T HAVE TO CONTINUE

[cinnamonie]

[ the fact that she can already pick up on his nervous ticks (already meaning that she's hyperfocused on them, can't ignore them) is not how she wanted this to go. fighting the urge to reach across and set her hand on his, to steady his fidgeting.

she can't. so instead, snow closes her eyes. takes a breath. then opens them again, head held high. straight. ]

Only if you want to. Mary Margaret is still my name, after all.

[ but then he asks that, and her eyes are in her lap, her fingers fidgeting around her napkin. everything about this interaction is making her uncomfortable, from the way she's feeling to the way he's acting and everything in between. she just wants to get through this with as little pain for bigby. ]

I was a princess in the Enchanted Forest. The Evil Queen cast me out as an outlaw, and I met Charming stealing from the royal carriages. Together we took back my kingdom, got married, had a- [ her voice breaks and she closes her eyes. ] The sleeping curse didn't stop the queen, so she tried a new curse. One that sent me, and everyone I cared about, to Storybrooke. We forgot who we were, what we were, everything.

[ a breath, and then she moves her hands to the table, still not quite able to look at bigby. ] I- [ how is she supposed to word this? her eyes glance up to him, scared. ] I'm nothing like your Snow.

It's ok! We can play it where they agree to take some time apart?

[sheriffwolf]

[Bigby listens to her story. It was funny how much she was like Snow and yet, her story was far happier. If Snow from his world was here she'd probably envy Mary Margaret. True love was rarely a thing that stuck around in Fabletown.]

You're right. You're not Snow from my world. She...

[Bigby doesn't want to tell Mary Margaret her story. It's a story that is Snow's to tell, if she were to ever arrive.]

She didn't have a very happy ending. In that respect, you are different. But you're still... still Snow. There are parts of you both that you share. I can't explain it but it's true.

[Bigby reached up and tapped his nose.] You can't fool this. I'd know Snow anywhere.

works for me! also oh my god this hurts

[cinnamonie]

[ she doesn't know what he's thinking, and that bothers her. she can't look up at see his eyes, his expression, because she's scared of what she'll find. scared, and that's what has her avoiding it completely, avoiding his eyes and his looks and any kind of comparison he might make.

she is snow white, but she is not the only snow white. she is not bigby's snow white, who he misses, who he is in love with. she has charming. ]

But I'm not the Snow you're waiting to find. [ for some reason, it's then that she looks up at him. ] You want me to be her, and I'm not.

[sheriffwolf]

[Her words sting him and he flinches, looking away from her as she speaks.]

That's not it at all. [He says with a small sigh, taking out his lighter and tapping it lightly on the table.

He needs a smoke. Badly.]

You're not the Snow that I've known. I don't want you to be her. Because with you... I feel like I have a chance.

[He'd had enough talking for one day. He'd said all that he wanted, revealed too much. He fished the cigarettes out of his pocket and stood up.]

I need to step outside for a bit. The scent of this place is starting to get to me.

[cinnamonie]

[ he's frustrated, he's fidgety, and it takes everything in her to hold back from trying to smooth that over. she has to take a breath, hold it back, hold his eyes even when he looks away. ]

That's the problem, Bigby, you- [ don't, but it doesn't make it out, because he's standing quickly and pulling out his cigarettes. the movement has her tense, swallowing thickly and holding her jaw tight. ]

Bigby. [ it's a warning, to make him stop for just a second. just a moment. ] I need some time to process all this. Everything. [ a beat and then she takes another breath. ] I need some space.