happy endings | ouat (slow updates)

what happened to frederick

s01ep13 - what happened to frederick 

Methodically, Graham chewed the crust off his toast and nodded thoughtfully at what Mary Margaret was saying. He didn't even need to be listening to know what the raven-haired woman was picking Emma's brains about.

David Nolan was, politely and respectfully, an idiot. As the polar opposite of strong, brave and honourable Charming, he was weak-willed and flighty, and not worth this much oxygen on a regular basis.

Graham could feel Henry's stare boring into his side, and he ducked his head to talk to him and his whipped cream moustache in the booth beside him. "Hey, kiddo. You've got something there."

Following his gesture, Henry regained composure, but stayed a bit limp. Graham bit his tongue, then muttered quietly, "Bone tired or bone bored?"

With the exasperation only a child could muster, he returned, "The latter."

Graham looked across the table to Emma, the rise and fall of her chest and her deathly grip on her mug, and waited until her blue eyes flickered up to him. Involuntarily, she smiled and he flashed her a grin back. "Emma. I'm going to take Henry to school."

She nodded, and relaxed slightly, her hunched shoulders dropping. As he and Henry stole towards the door, Graham looked over his shoulder and they caught each other's eye, a moment of silent communication.

Emma was morally conflicted, but she was fine if overwhelmed. He'd see her later. With that, he turned his attention to Henry, and tried to lift his spirits.

"Not in the mood for your grandparents' relationship drama?"

"It's the curse," Henry explained, perking up slightly. "Everyone is stuck in emotional limbo because what they feel doesn't match up with what they remember." He sighed. "It's so dull. Every morning for years I used to watch the Dolittles stand on the corner and argue about how little attention he was paying her. You've had years of your life taken away, and this is only the calm before the storm."

"Let the storm come." He watched the boy tug at his stripy scarf and put a supportive hand on his back as they crossed the road. "Seriously, Henry. I've lived more in the last year than I have in a long time." Graham squeezed his shoulder. "Things have been crazy lately. Crazy good, and crazy bad. But I know my place in it now. Everything will change when everyone wakes up, and it'll be both kinds of crazy, but it could be worse."

Henry paused, tilted his head and scrutinised Graham. His brown hair fell slightly in his eyes, and behind him clouds moved across the blue sky as Storybrooke's high street braced itself for the coming day. "Are you in love with Emma?"

Caught off guard, Graham said carefully, "Henry."

An innocent smile accompanied his playful indignance. "Graham. Are you in love with Mom?"

"The truth?" Graham asked, resigned to the charisma of the small boy, and shoving his hands in the pocket of his jacket. He sighed. "I've never been in love, Henry. It's more complicated than you'd believe. I think... I don't know. I'd die for her." He'd kill for her too.

"She's your soulmate," Henry said assuredly, and Graham laughed.

If she was not, he did not want another.

"Have you been talking to Gold?" He laughed again, with an edge of polite disbelief. "Whatever she is, this is it. If I'm not in love with her, I'm falling in love with her. Is that good enough for you?"

Henry nodded seriously. "We need a new operation."

They were at the outskirts of the school, and Graham wondered if Mary Margaret planned to arrive on time herself. He looked at Henry, with the sunlight in his eyes, and said, "Yeah?"