happy endings | ouat (slow updates)

the price of gold

s01ep04 & s01ep06 - the price of gold & the shepherd 

Granny's was always packed with loud customers at breakfast time, and among them were Sheriff Humbert and his new roommate, Emma Swan. Graham was already on his second coffee, and his new companion was busy complaining loudly about the numerous sachets of sugar he was tipping into it.

"How do you drink that? It must be nauseating," Emma protested, tearing off a chunk of croissant and placing it in her mouth. (While Graham's breakfast consisted of nothing but caffeine and sugar—plus the pop tart he'd undoubtedly eat at the station—Emma had become a pastries for breakfast fiend.)

Graham rolled his eyes. "You said you were done judging me."

Emma tilted her head to the side, and bit her lip to hold in a chuckle. A little exploration of Graham's apartment the previous night had uncovered numerous Star Wars boxsets and an unhealthy stash of Pixie Sticks. He was nothing if not consistently unexpected.

The diner door jingled, but neither paid any attention to it until Regina stopped at their booth and cleared her throat threateningly.

Considering how dark her clothes and hair were, she was strikingly pale. She evidently was out of place at Granny's, wearing gloves as if to avoid catching any germs: like manners, or a conscience.

"Ah, Madame Mayor," Emma said unfazed, a fake smile now plastered on her face. "That sounds nasty, perhaps you should get it checked out?"

Regina smiled with all her teeth. "I'm not scared of you, Ms. Swan. You may think you have the upper hand, but I did a bit of research and what I found out about you was very relieving."

Emma raised an eyebrow, licking croissant dust from her fingertips. "Is this about me moving in with your ex-something-or-other?"

"If it was about anything, it would be about your somewhat illegal relationship with my son. But, no, you can play with Graham for a little while longer, Ms. Swan," Regina said decisively, eyes lingering on Graham's jaw.

Graham himself choked on his drink at her last sentence. "How... considerate of you."

"I'm only letting her get away with this now because I know she won't stay much longer. Her longest stint anywhere was two years, although I can't imagine what she liked so much about Tallahassee," Regina declared smugly, squeezing all the satisfaction she could from her discovery with one last dark look, before turning on heel and leaving.

Coughing, Graham looked down at the table. Emma took a moment to feel dazed.

"She's going to let us get away with living together? What was that about?"

"Maybe she took everything," Graham winced, and turned his mug in a circle by nudging its handle, "worse than I thought."

Emma said dryly, "You can say that again."

Whatever Graham's response was, it was cut off with the Star Wars theme blaring from his phone. "Stop it," he told Emma.

She fooled nobody, and definitely not him, still too unsettled to polish her amused act, but finished her croissant with gusto and a snicker. "Who is it?"

Graham's face darkened. "Regina." The word was beginning to sound like a curse. "She's texted me about our council meetings."

"Are council meetings actually council meetings or..." Emma trailed off, before spilling her coffee down herself. Damn her nerves. 

Graham made an unattractive noise of shock, causing everyone else at the diner to stare at them. He stood up, winking at her, the bravado not reaching his eyes as he gripped his phone tightly in a fist. "See you at work, Deputy Swan. And since you're so interested, I'm not going to have sex with Regina, no."