Magic's dead

justanorphan:

           [ ∲ —               ^{The offered bite remained suspended in air when he did not take it, though she caught glimpses of new emotions in his eyes. She had always been good at reading people, especially Neal, after knowing him for so long. So, when he spoke, she nodded her head in understanding, dropping both her gaze and settled her fork into her plate.}

           _{Silence soon followed, lips curling in. Lids lowering to a half-mast over her hazel hues. The words felt heavy in her mind, lips pressed together. There was not a lot of heavy consideration going on, before her eyes flitted up to meet his with a small smile on her lips. “Yeah, well, technically, it is yours too,” she murmured. Scraping up some food onto her fork once more, she looked up at him.}

            _{“Last I checked, Henry is your son. So, that makes you part of the family, doesn’t it?” A shrug soon followed, trying to lighten the mood with some humor, “I mean, I think it does. I’m new to family and all.”}

_{The confirmation coming from Emma about how he was technically part of their family brought a half-smile of hesitation to his features. While on one hand, he was flattered by her remark, on the other hand he felt uncomfortable at the idea of simply intruding their family gathering. What if the Charmings didn’t want him there? And what if Emma was only inviting him because Henry had urged her to, in stead of on her own accord? —No, she wasn’t like that. She was strong of will enough to give Henry a firm no if she was really all that opposed to him coming to have dinner with them.}

_{Producing a sigh, he shifted his position on the bed and averted his gaze from her for the briefest of moments in order to gather his thoughts and line up the advantages and disadvantages of having dinner with Emma, Henry and the Charmings. When eventually, he couldn’t come to just one conclusion, he turned back to her to re-engage in their conversation about it.}

_{“Well, yeah—but I didn’t think you and your folks’d want me there. It’s not like I’ve been around for very long, isn’t it gonna be awkward?”}

justanorphan:

            [ ∲ —         ^{Picking up the silver utensil off of the plate, she stabbed it into one of the links of sausages before popping it into her mouth. Refraining from making a small sound of content, she chewed happily before looking to him. “Not bad, you got better,” she noted quietly as she happily ate away. It was nice to start off her morning on a good note—compared to other days.}

          _{Turning her head to the side, hazel hues fell upon him. Sucking in a small breath through her nose, she pursed her lips together. Thanksgiving. She was going to be celebrating Thanksgiving with her actual family. It was almost like a dream come true. So, why was there butterflies in her stomach?}

          _{Pushing the thoughts from her mind, she cut another piece and leaned over, offering it to him with a small quirk of her lips. It was hard not to feel completely connected to Neal that way she once used to—but it was hard to deny the pull to him. However, before she could fully feed him the offering, she pulled back for a moment.}

                                 _{”You’re coming to the dinner tonight, right?”}

_{“Yeah, took notes.”}

_{The tone of his voice was jesting; of course he hadn’t been taking notes about the feedback Emma had given him pertaining to his cooking skills -or previous slight lack thereof- but he could well remember them. He’d never really had the chance to actually cook for himself, save for perhaps helping his father make bread or simple dishes; he was used to living off of whatever he could get, hardly ever taking the time to actually cook until he had been ready to settle down with Emma. Needless to say, that was a time long gone now.}

_{When Emma offered him a piece of the sausage she’d so eagerly been devouring, Neal raised a single eyebrow; the gesture was unexpected, but certainly not unwelcome. However, the smile that the gesture had ignited faded as soon as she posed her question, making place for something akin to doubt.}

_{“I don’t—I’m not sure. I mean, it’s your family.”}

_{I don’t fit in. It’s not my place to come to dinner.}

_{Those thoughts ran to his mind, but he didn’t voice them. No matter the silence, however, the emotion was clearly visible in his eyes. Emma had found her family after so long, but Neal really wasn’t a part of that family. He was an outsider, and he hadn’t expected any differently.}

_{He’d never been one for family celebrations, anyway.}

justanorphan:

 

          _{“You’re the one who decided to leave the bug with me—and it wasn’t even yours to begin with,” she reminded him with a pointed stare and a smirk of her lips. Though, to be perfectly fair, it wasn’t hers, either. But she doubted that the original owner missed it after so much time. And even if they did, well, that was too bad for them. She was actually quite fond of her buggie.}

          _{It was easier to make light of a situation than linger on the past. That was something they always seemed to have in common. Their past did not define them, and to be quite frank, they always seemed to avoid bringing it up as much as they possibly can. Though, now that she thought about it, how much did they know of each other past an orphan and a man running from another world?}

           _{Lips pushed down at the thought, but she was quick to shake it away. As Neal ordered, she let out a small scoff and she let out a small scoff. “Should have known,” she mused quietly beneath her breath, lips quirked up into what seemed to be a smile of amusement. Her eyes peered toward him, head tilting to the side in obvious consideration.}

           _{Laughing quietly into the back of her hand, earning a few glances from Ruby, she braced her hands against the edge of the table. A small hum escaped her, lips pursed together. “Obeying the law seems kind of boring, doesn’t it?” She remembered her first week here, how many laws did she break; just to get under Regina’s skin?}

                    _{— Though taking a chainsaw to her apple tree was well worth it.}  

_{“Yeah, figured you’d have more use of it than I did. ‘Sides, it kinda fits you.”}

_{The remark was accompanied with yet another chuckle; to be frank, seeing Emma drive the bug for the very first time had been quite the experience. She hadn’t been a very experienced driver back then, and the car seemed rather…small for her. Truth be told, with Emma’s driving habits, she could probably use a Hummer by now, but it pleased him to know that she’d stuck by the bug for all these years. After all, it confirmed that his decision to give her the keys to the car had ultimately been a good one. One of the very few good decisions he’d made in his life.}

_{Emma’s scoff in response to his order was met with a defiant grin from his side, and he could see Ruby turn a curious gaze towards them from the corner of his eye. They were drawing attention, but he didn’t mind it one bit; at least they weren’t having an argument of sorts. Not that they’d had a habit of doing that, not even when they were still together and spent each day and night together, sometimes in the car, sometimes in a hotel room of sorts. They’d always gone along swimmingly, though perhaps he did have his lenient personality to thank for that for the largest part. Emma could be quite the stubborn lady.}

_{Providing her with a shrug in response to her question, he tugged up one corner of his mouth until his grin became lopsided.}

_{“No clue, never tried it. You should be one to know, though, Ms. Town Sheriff.”}

justanorphan:

          ^{Her lips pressed together as if taking his words into consideration, head canting to the side. Her golden strands fell from her shoulders from the motion, chuckling quietly to herself. “A little power is kind of nice and certainly comes in handy.” Having a badge at hand made things a lot more easier. Though, sometimes not too many people these days don’t listen ever since the curse was broken, but—that was aside the point.}

            _{Arms wrapped around herself as she waited in anticipation for his answer. It wasn’t that she had much in mind, but anywhere was better than being here listening to Regina drone on and on about matters she did not really care about or matters that she already knew of. Brows shot up as she waited for an answer, though she already knew what it would be.}

            _{So, when the expected answer came, she felt her lips curl into a small grin. Eyes peering around, as if to make sure that no one would be watching, she palced a hand on his shoulder and guided him around back of the building so that they could easily slip away. “How about anywhere but here?” She responded as she pushed him along.}

          _{As soon as they had managed to escape, she shoved her hands into her pockets, tilting her head back. “I’m in the mood for a walk along the beach.” Plus, no one would find them there. She was sure there were those who would be trying to sneak away soon enough—}

                                                      _{— if they dared.}  

_{“Anywhere but here sounds pretty awesome right now.”}

_{His voice sounded warm, less mischievous than it had been before and more sincere. Truth be told, he didn’t look for any deeper meaning behind Emma’s offer to get the hell out of the meeting, but spending a bit of time with her was a nice addition to not having to listen to Regina’s ramblings anymore; the woman loved to hear the sound of her own voice just a bit too much for Neal’s liking.}

_{At the suggestion of going to the beach, one corner of Neal’s mouth tugged upwards until his previously displayed grin became lopsided. Perfect; no one would come looking for them there, and with most of the town listening to Regina’s lectures for a little while longer, the area would be nice and quiet.}

_{“Alright, let’s start by slithering our way outta here without anyone noticing. Remember the old tricks?”}

_{He produced a chuckle at the little nudge back to their time of thieving together; they had become quite the experts in sneaking out of a crowded place unnoticed, even with bags or sweaters loaded chock-full of haul. This would be no different; though Emma’s parents were very protective of her and would no doubt want to inquire as to where she’d be heading, they were currently engaged in conversation with several of the dwarves. If they timed it just right, nobody would notice they were gone in the first place.}

_{“Looks like the back exit’s free. Let’s make a beeline for it.”}

justanorphan:

           ^{Lips stretched into a smile, laughing quietly. Something told her that they were going to get along quite well. And though she had little to no intentions of prolonging their company, she was going to make the most of it for as long as she can. Being on the run and always looking over her shoulders was a lonely life so she indulged on whatever company she could get,}

                     _{”At least you know how to have fun
                                           and you’re not a bore.”}

           _{The thief gave a meek shrug of her shoulders, though her smile was almost as bright as the glint in her eyes. Sometimes she regrets running away from the system. But then again, she loved this freedom to do anything she wanted more. Sure it was sometimes hard and there were some good days and bad days, but she would not trade this for the world.}

           _{Settling down was out of the question because she had no reasons to. Nothing and no one to tie her down. She did not need that, or so she told herself. It was too much trouble, too much restrictions. Being on the move was a lot less painful than being in a place where she knew she was not truly wanted.}

           _{Her stomach almost gave a growl at the thought of food. When was the last time she even had a real meal? Stolen goods were hardly enough since she only snagged what she could manage without getting caught. And sometimes dine and dashing was more difficult than others.}

          _{“A grilled cheese sandwich,” there was no hesitation in her answer. There was something about a grilled cheese that made her feel safe. Maybe because it was something she used to eat a lot when she was a kid in the one home where she actually felt wanted. But the family was an old couple and she made it so that she would be taken away because it was hard watching them struggle financially for her sake.}  

_{“Boredom ain’t even in my dictionary.”}

_{The notion was yet again accompanied by a mischievous grin, one that seemed to be permanently plastered onto his face for at least the duration of the conversation. If he were to take a mental step back from the situation and take a look at what was going on, he had to admit to himself that he hadn’t smiled this much, or for this long in one go, in a very long time. Thriving off thievery was serious business, hardly any time to joke around, let alone spend time in the company of a woman—a woman who appeared to be in the same line of business as he was.}

_{As he looked her in the eyes whilst she spoke, he took note of the fact that she seemed very similar to him, closed off when it comes to private matters, yet very suave and perhaps a little cheeky in conversation. Independent, no doubt, and if he had to make an estimated guess, just as much on the run from the everyday drag of life as he was. He hadn’t thought of it before, but these were all qualities he rather liked in a woman. Or at least this woman, apparently.}

_{Her answer to his question came without hesitation, and it only caused his grin to widen. She was determined, a woman who knew what she wanted all too well, something he had always admired in people. He didn’t like doubters, or people who dragged out a conversation due to insecurity. She was very straight to the point, easy-going. Perfectly fit for conversation with him.}

_{“Alright, grilled cheese it is.”}

_{And with that, his stomach growled at him, as if to make a statement. Two grilled cheese, apparently.}

(Source: magicaedestruit)

justanorphan:

 

          _{Her eyes squinted past the haze of her mind, groaning with subtle annoyance. Giving up, she scrubbed a hand across her face. Emma was’t exactly the most graceful swan in the morning, but she hadn’t had any witnesses in a long time since Mary Margaret and David moved out. But, Neal, who had seen her through her worst mornings hardly seemed to be much of an issue.}

          _{Attention fell on the meal before her, not quite registering what it was for exactly. “It’s not my birthday,” she muttered, though it was an obvious statement. And then, piece by piece, her mind put everything together and realization seemed to hit. “Shoot,“ she swore lightly, eyes flickering to him. Her eyes narrowed for a long moment before she took the tray from his hold.}

          _{“Thanks, Neal. I mean it,” and she really did. Sitting up right, she patted the spot next to her. Since he went through the troubles of making her breakfast, the lease she could do was share. Her lips pursed together, taking the first bite before she breathed out.}

                            _{“I never thought I’d celebrate something like this.
                                                            — it’s strange.”}  

_{Neal let a moment of silence fall after Emma’s notion that it wasn’t her birthday in order for her to realize what day it was, and it didn’t take her too long to place the pieces of the puzzle together. In response to her reaction, Neal couldn’t suppress a grin. Despite her morning drowsiness, which he had to admit was rather endearing, her reaction was amusing to him.}

_{When she took the tray from his hold and patted the spot next to her on the bed, he hesitated for a moment. Normally, he would have considered the action of sitting down next to Emma when she’d just woken up not a very good idea, but as she’d offered it to him by her own choice, he decided to accept her offer, lowering himself onto the bed where she had patted it.}

_{“No problem. Just wanted to make sure you had a relaxed morning before all the mandatory celebration stuff. Sounds like a pain.”}

_{Upon her expression about celebrating Thanksgiving, he nodded a few times, producing a sigh despite the faint grin that had crept onto his features.}

_{“Yeah—I know that feeling. Family stuff’s weird.”}

ø ;
◥		justanorphan-archive

^{Send me a “ø” and I’ll generate a number, your muse will receive one of the following from mine}

 

_{One day where they can do whatever they want to my muse.}

_{“Alright, guess it’s pay-day for me, huh?”}

_{While Neal had a past reputation of being a bit of a crook when it came to gambling, Emma had bested him gloriously at a friendly game of poker. Had it been for money, he wouldn’t have agreed to play with her; taking money from her would never feel right in the first place. The stakes of this game, however, were much more interesting than monetary bets. The winner, best out of ten, would get a full day of compliance from the losing party, meaning that they could ask them just about anything, provided that it’s not too far-fetched. Neal had both been dreading as well as looking forward to the moment he would have to pay up. Emma was smart and inventive and he was sure she would give him a humiliating task or two. And who was to blame her? This was her perfect opportunity for payback, if she wanted to use her valued prize day for such purposes.}

justanorphan:

 

             _{”I don’t beg and you know that,” she reminded him, patting his chest as she passed. Stepping into the diner, she greeted Ruby and Granny with the usual smile before she slid into the usual stool at the counter. Tossing her head to the side, she peered over at Neal and nodded her head, giving a small shrug of a shoulder. “Sure, if you’re paying for that, too.” Lips curved into a grin at that before she faced forward once more.}

              _{“I will have the usual and he will have—whatever,” she chimed, giving a small gesture of her hand toward him. It all felt so odd and nostalgic, it was as off-putting as it was thrilling. Wetting his lips, she turned in her stool to face him before she leaned against the edge of the counter.}

                                           _{”So, Neal.
                                                        Other than reliving the old life for a good hour
                                                                                       have anything else in mind?”}

_{“My car, my wallet—what’s next?”}

_{He knew what’d been next in line for the taking, back when they had considered the option of going to Tallahassee. His heart had been up for grabs, and she’d had her sweet time with it. It had been a mutual thing, that is, until August came into play. Bearing in mind all he had done to her, he felt worse than his father after a day of abuse of magic. Despite that, however, he kept his chin up. It wasn’t his place to be feeling sorry for himself; if anyone was allowed to have a bad feeling about the situation, it would be Emma.}

_{Which was exactly why he was so lenient towards her, really; he wasn’t under the impression that he could win her back, nor did he have the intention to gain her favor any further than at friendship levels, for the time being. He just wanted her to be at peace with all that had come to pass between them, to let her know that he hadn’t played her for a fool. He’d loved her—worse yet, she’d been the first woman he had ever truly loved. And he had given her up for the sake of letting her fulfill her destiny. If he’d known then what he knew now about how much she’d already sacrificed for said destiny, and that she had been pregnant with his son, he surely would have stayed. But that was easily said, looking back on the facts.}

_{Producing a nigh-soundless chuckle as Emma took charge, Neal turned his attention towards Ruby to place his order. He’d bet his bottom dollar Emma still knew, somewhere in the back of his mind, what Neal’s usual order had been. But there had been enough nostalgia in their interaction already.}

_{“I’ll have the same she’s having.”}

_{Turning to face Emma again, he pressed smile-formed lips together until they formed a thin stripe, though still keeping up that same expression. What did he have in mind? Not an awful lot, really. He decided to play along the same line of conversation they’d been having earlier.}

_{“Well, you said no more law-breakin’, right? Guess I’ll just have to become a hermit, then. Spend days holed up in my room, watchin’ tv like a good, law-abiding citizen.”}

justanorphan:

 

           _{Eyes narrowed on him for a moment before she gave a roll of her eyes, scoffing beneath her breath. Ever since Neal had officially moved into Storybrooke all she wanted to do was strangle him half the time. But with her, that was a good sign, however. It wasn’t precisely her bad side, but it meant that he got under her skin enough for her to care. It may not be as much as she used to—and she doubted she ever could again—but she cared about him enough to actually pay him some mind.}

           _{”I would threaten to lock you up for your constant annoyance but that’d be an abuse of power,” she paused, lips quirking up in what seemed to be an amused smirk, “and something tells me you’d enjoy being locked up.” Lashes fluttered as she regarded him with a sharp gaze, arms moving to cross over her chest as she leaned against the wooden pillar of the building they stood next to.}

              _{With her attention turning back to the meeting, she groaned and shook her head, combing her fingers through her hair. “Yeah, if you call useless information I already know enjoying myself, sure.” Sucking in her cheek, a slow grin touched her lips, placing a hand on his elbow as she looked around.}

           _{”How about we ditch this thing? Doubt we’d be missed.”}

_{“Somethin’ tells me you’d enjoy abuse of power once in a while, too.”}

_{And just like that, the mischief that he’d deliberately left out of his expression moments ago slipped back onto his features. He really couldn’t help himself; it was in his nature, and he knew she would have an answer at the ready for him. Most of their conversations were a back-and-forth of witty retorts and he wouldn’t have it any other way; even though things had changed between them, at least their mischievous behavior hadn’t suffered much.}

_{For the shortest moment, he did picture Emma putting him behind bars, and that being along the line of her personality, he could very well picture it. He wouldn’t blame her, either; it was after all his by his doing that she had spent multiple years in prison herself—yeah, that wasn’t something to think about there and then. His grin had all but faded, but he pushed the thoughts from his mind soon enough, conjuring up yet another smile, one that only grew wider at her suggestion.}

_{Eyebrows raised, he tipped his head a little to the side, studying her expression to see if she was being serious in suggesting they get the hell out of dodge. Dead serious, apparently—and he wouldn’t hesitate a single moment. The meeting was boring, to say the very least, and the prospect of leaving, especially with Emma, was a very attractive one.}

_{“Where d'you reckon we should go in stead? Everyone and their mother’s gathered here.”}

/slithers in here and gives lots of kisses and slithers away.
◥		justanorphan-archive

^{(outoffire; Suddenly Slytherin house pride :| But ahh yes excellent puts the kisses in a jar and gives you back a whole bunch myself too ;D)}