Archive of Our Own ^beta

Snow jumped slightly at hearing another rumble of thunder, and cast an anxious look to her window.

She hated storms, she always had, there was just something about the deafening roars of thunder and relentless bursts of lightning that seemed to put her on the edge of panic anytime they rolled in. She could never relax anytime it rained, anxiety kept her pacing around at all hours without allowing her to let herself breathe. 

It was silly, and ridiculous, yes she knew, but she couldn't help how it made her feel.

Helpless. And weak.

Not at all what she should have been, as so many people looked to her as cold, calculated, and unaffected by such things. She made sure no one knew her weaknesses, if they did, no one would respect her. And she had had more than enough of that in her life, thanks very much.

Snow sighed bitterly as another bout of thunder shook her windows, and she quickly walked over to them and closed the curtains. 

Bad enough that she had to hear it.

She glanced to the clock on her nightstand, noticing that it read 10:14 in luminous green numbers. She bit her lip, wondering if Bigby was still at the office. He had been when she left a little while ago, though as tired as she was he still insisted on staying to catch up on his paperwork.

She let out a deep breath, weighing the options of what she could do. She sure as hell didn't want to be alone tonight...but would Bigby be upset if she crashed his night?

Snow paced back and forth in her living room before making her decision. She crossed the room to the door, and right as she opened it she jumped back in surprise, seeing Bigby standing there, his hand poised to knock.

His eyes went wide, mirroring her own startled expression. 

"Um-Hey, Snow." He chuckled sheepishly before holding something out to her. Her eyes flickered downward to see him holding her jacket. 

"I was just wanting to return your jacket, you left it in the office." He gave her a smirk as she gratefully took it from him.

"Thanks, Bigby...I hadn't even noticed I left it behind." A small smile flickered across her lips, but it quickly vanished as another crash of thunder shook the walls slightly.

She jumped a bit, and mentally swore.

Bigby tilted his head at her. "Are you okay, Snow?" He asked gently, peering at her with a concerned look in his amber eyes. Eyes that radiated a warmth that always wanted to make her melt.

Snow nodded slightly, then stepped aside to open the door a bit further before she lost her nerve.

"Hey, why don't you join me for some coffee? I was just about to make some..." Her hopeful voice trailed off seeing the surprised look on his face. She quickly turned her head, biting her lip.

Of course he probably didn't want to stay...what was she thinking?

"Heh, are you sure, Princess? I don't wanna crash your evening..." 

Snow let a quiet chuckle slip past her lips.

"Oh, it wasn't going anywhere, don't worry."

Bigby gazed at her, running his hand through his hair. "Well, if you insist, Snow."

He flashed her a quick wink as she stood aside to let him in, causing her face to warm slightly.

With her best friend around...surely the night couldn't be so bad?

Sure, up until he leaves and you're all alone again...like always.

Snow shook her head slightly as if to rid her mind of the intrusive thought. She would be fine. She always was.

There's still nothing wrong with having some company...

She closed and locked the door as Bigby wandered into her apartment, gazing around at the tasteful interior. 

"Your apartment is really nice," He complimented with a quiet chuckle. Snow smiled at his words, walking past him into the kitchen.

"Well, let's just say I've worked hard for a long time," She murmured, mostly to herself as she turned on the coffee pot. 

Bigby grinned as he leaned against the counter.

"Does that mean I don't work hard enough?" He said jokingly, causing Snow to roll her eyes.

"Aw, don't worry Wolf, you do plenty around here." She gave him a smile as she pulled a spare coffee mug from her cabinet. 

However, her fingers couldn't quite reach...

"Here, I've got it." 

All of a sudden Snow went still, as Bigby stood behind her, reaching over her and pulling the mug from the cabinet with ease. Even though it was only for a minute, she felt a rush of security and safeness as he stood behind her, momentarily blocking out the sounds of the storm that continued to batter the windows.

Just as quickly as he appeared, he moved to the counter, holding the mug in his hands.

An almost smug look was on his face.

"You were saying?" He teased, gently nudging her arm. Snow playfully swatted at his chest.

"Exactly proves my point," She giggled, crossing her arms as she leaned against the counter next to him.

For a moment everything seemed to stand still, as she stood by his side in her dark kitchen, watching the rain turn the city into a neon fog from the windows. Snow slowly let out a deep breath, for once her focus was on Bigby instead of the storm. 

Her eyes subtly darted in his direction, noticing his slouched posture and sleepy expression in his eyes.

She bit her lip, seeing him up close she realized he looked like he hadn't slept in days.

"Hey...Bigby?" Snow murmured softly as she gazed at him. His eyes met hers. 

"Yes?"

Snow opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the hiss of the coffee pot, indicating it had finished brewing.

Snow chuckled. "How do you take your coffee?" She asked with a smirk as she grabbed the mugs.

Bigby scratched the back of his neck. "Black's perfect, thanks."

She passed the steaming mug to him and he took it carefully with a smile.

"Thank you, Snow," He said warmly. "And...thanks for having me here." 

Snow smiled herself, watching him take a careful sip of from the mug.

"Anytime, Bigby."

After she stirred a bit of sugar into it, Snow slowly lifted her mug to her lips, taking a sip of the sweetened drink.

For a moment, everything was peaceful, just the two of them standing in her kitchen and enjoying their drinks. Suddenly a loud crack of thunder echoed outside the windows, and Snow yelped in surprise, jumping a bit which caused some of her coffee to spill over her hand, burning it slightly.

"Shit!" She hissed, and Bigby jumped up in concern.

"Are you alright?!" He asked in alarm, taking her mug from her hand and quickly moving it to the counter. 

"Yeah..." She muttered, shaking the coffee off her hand. Just as she began to look for a paper towel to clean it up Bigby's hands were on hers, already wiping away the coffee.

"Thanks..." Snow whispered, the pain from the burn subsiding as his hands held hers, handling her with such care it stopped hurting almost immediately. Once he got it all cleaned off of her, he tossed the paper towel into the trash can next to the counter.

"Better?" He asked with a concerned look to his puppy dog eyes.

Snow smiled softly. "Better." She giggled quietly. "Thank you, Bigby."

Bigby only smiled, glancing down and noticing he still held Snow's hand. He let go slowly, and she wished he didn't.

Snow noticed how shaky she was, the bout of thunder leaving her nerves more than shot.

"Hey, maybe you should sit down Snow... You're kind of...shaky." Bigby said hesitantly, hoping his words didn't upset her. Snow glanced down, and closed her eyes with a silent curse as she noticed her legs trembling.

She could only nod, and kept her eyes averted from his as she crossed the kitchen back to the living room. Snow took a seat on the couch, perched on the edge, her head turned as Bigby sat down beside her.

A moment of silence hung between them, Snow's anxiety making her heart pound faster than the rain hitting the windows. She didn't know what to say, she felt...embarrassed, honestly, that Bigby had to see her like this. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to speak up and say anything.

However, Bigby beat her to it.

"The storm is making you nervous, isn't it..?" He said it more as a statement than a question, his mumbled tone quiet.

Snow could only nod slowly, keeping her head down.

She felt him scoot a bit closer on the couch, and her eyes darted over when she felt his knee ever so slightly bump against hers. Even though it was such a subtle touch, it still felt...nice.

"I understand, Snow, don't worry. You don't have to talk about it...but I'm here."

Snow dared to let herself breathe out slowly, and she glanced down to see Bigby's hand resting next to hers, but not touching it.

"I..." She started quietly, then sighed. "Ever since I was a child, I've always hated storms...I don't know why but I just do." She hung her head a bit more, not even caring how unprofessional she looked at the moment. 

"And I hate that they make me...feel this way...Like I'm weak." Snow bit her lip so hard she almost tasted blood. 

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," Bigby whispered, before reaching over and gently tucked the hair hiding her beautiful face from him behind her ear. Her eyes went wide, and even in the dim room he could see her cheeks pinken. 

"Everybody is scared of something...but that doesn't mean you're weak. Even I know that," He chuckled softly, lightly letting his hand rest on her shoulder.

"I know," She muttered with a sigh, then reached up to swiftly wipe her eyes. Bigby's heart twinged at seeing her in such a defeated state, and his mind raced with solutions to comfort her. Anything.

What could he do to help her?

Snow turned her head to him, a tired and defeated expression on her face. 

Bigby almost didn't even notice himself sliding his hand from her shoulder to her face, gently cupping it so she could fully face him. The same flustered expression from earlier flickered across her face as he carefully held her.

"I'm here, ok?" He whispered, gently stroking her cheek with his thumb. She blinked in surprise as his tender touch, not expecting his hands to be this soft. 

Snow finally found her courage to speak, but just as her lips parted, she was interrupted once more by an echoing boom of thunder, this one so loud the walls shook and all the lights in her apartment flickered out.

But she didn't notice the darkness, as her eyes were already shut as she jumped in shock and bolted right into Bigby's arms, burying her face in his chest.

His arms all but immediately went up to hold her against him, strongly and steadily to his chest. Snow's eyes were squinted shut, wincing as the thunder roared outside, and she burrowed her head deeper into Bigby's shirt in a desperate attempt to block it out.

She didn't even notice him stroking her back at first, as her body trembled, but as she forced deep breaths into her lungs she became more and more aware of his comforting touch.

Suddenly he stopped his hands, but a heartbeat later, he held her even tighter, tucking her into the safe hollow of his arms and chest while his hand rested in her hair.

"I've got you," Bigby whispered so softly Snow wasn't even sure if she heard him. But-

"I've got you, Snow. You're safe here."

Snow's eyes went wide, and she tried her hardest not to sob.

Instead she gripped his shirt tighter, never wanting to let go or be released from his secure grasp, her safety found in his arms.

Neither of them knew how long they sat there as the storm battered the outside walls of the Woodlands. Snow shut it out as best as she could, each time the thunder rumbled she only held Bigby tighter and he let her, his hands holding her strong and secure against his chest.

His heart beat calmly under her cheek, and as the minutes passed by Snow found herself focusing on it instead of the sounds of the storm outside, the sound of his steady rhythm familiar and comforting to her overstimulated mind. She didn't care about how unprofessional she must have looked, mascara tears streaked around her eyes, her blouse collar rumpled around her shoulders, her posture slumped as she sank against Bigby's chest, but something told her he didn't mind in the slightest, and she didn't mind that either.

Not so long as he was there with her.

Then the sounds of the storm were dying down, and Snow found herself letting up her hold on Bigby, but kept her eyes downcast to the couch cushions. Bigby didn't say anything, but sighed softly, his hands sliding from her back to her shoulders, then slowly running down her arms until they rested on Snow's hands.

She finally lifted her head as he gave them a gentle squeeze, and a small, almost inexistant smile ghosted on her lips.

But Bigby still saw it, and a lopsided smile of his own made its way to his lips.

A sort of knowing look passed between them then as they sat there on Snow's couch. Alone in her apartment with hands entwined. Each seeing a side to the other they hadn't seen before.

The rare fragility of the moment between them strengthened as Bigby leaned forward to gently press a chaste kiss to Snow's jaw, his lips trembling slightly with the boldness of his action.

Snow’s breath hitched for a second, but before Bigby could pull away she tilted her head ever so slightly so her lips caught his, and they properly kissed for the first time in the several hundred years they've known each other.

Snow's heart beat loudly as they embraced, so loudly she was sure Bigby could hear it even under the sounds of the steadily increasing rainfall. But the rain became white noise as her mind was quickly swept into the kiss, the gentle passion emanating between the two becoming a bubble not even the intrusive sounds of the storm could burst.

Bigby's lips were warm, warmer than his hands holding hers tightly. Snow could taste the mellow smokiness of his cigarettes, chased by a slight sting of bourbon, and just barely there muddling her senses a hint of his cologne, something woodsy and masculine. She let a hand lift from his grasp and slid it up his arm, his cotton shirt soft under her fingers, the material worn down after however many times he's rewashed and reworn it. Her hand traveled further upwards, curving around his broad shoulder until it rested on the plane between his shoulder blades, and his hand, now empty of hers, inched forward until it rested tentatively on her waist, warming her skin through her thin blouse.

Somehow they managed to finally part, both with closed eyes and breathing a bit heavily. Snow glanced over Bigby’s face, taking in the sight of him in the hazy lamp light, gazing at her with half lidded amber eyes and a tender, almost bashful smile on his kiss-swollen lips. His own eyes darted down to their hands still entwined, and his own on her side. She felt his fingers twitch slightly as if he was about to remove his hand, but that was the last thing Snow wanted. 

Suddenly her own smile grew, and she slid her hand from his shoulder up to his face, gently cupping his jaw and admiring every detail of his worn, tan skin. Blue eyes trailed over faint scars and a crooked nose, broken however many times however many years ago. Her gaze traveled more, her thumb gently sweeping over his chin, his stubble against her smooth palm creating a slight scratching sound as the contrasting texture met and melted into one.

"Bigby..." The wolf smiled at how breathlessly his name left her lips. Snow glanced down at his lips then back up to his amber gaze.

"I...Thank you..." She whispered. "Thank you for being here with me." Bigby squeezed her hand slightly, his fingers twitching on her side once more, and Snow smiled at the feeling. She wanted to sweep him into her arms too.

"Of course, Snow..." Bigby murmured. "Anytime. You...you know I'm always here for you, ok?"

"I know." Snow sighed softly, but it wasn't wearied. More like relieved. Relieved that the physical fog of the storm wasn't creating mental fog in her head anymore tonight, trapping her with suffocating thoughts. Not so long as he was there.

And if it did? If the storm still made her jump and shake? Well-

"If it isn't any trouble...Would you please stay tonight?" Snow asked Bigby quietly, her eyes still trailing across his face as he leaned into her caress of her palm on his stubble. His eyes opened, he had closed them in relaxation at her touch.

"As if I would say no to you," Bigby chuckled, then leaned forward and wrapped his strong arms around Snow's small frame. Her heart fluttered at the sudden action, her hands tucked against his chest as she didn't get the chance to wrap them around him as he moved forward. But for once it was nice to just be held by him, swaddled in his protective hold, where the outside dangers would never reach.

"Of course I'll stay with you, Snow."

Snow sighed contentedly, sinking into the embrace. Under his hands she could feel the warmth of his body through his shirt, and the reassuring rumble of his heartbeat. A soothing lullaby as Snow relaxed into him, pushing all of the thoughts that weren't about the two of them and their comfortable stasis away until the world, the storm, and everything else was once more white noise.

Neither knew how long they sat together clinging to each other tightly, nor knew who made the decision to lay down on the couch, plush cushions supporting their tired bodies, tired bodies finding comfort in the other as their arms and legs entwined to be as close as possible on the narrow space. The cups of coffee were forgotten but neither worried about that, there would be more in the morning. The vague idea of going to bed popped into Snow's mind but she dismissed it just as quickly. She was more than content laying on the couch with the Sheriff, who was just as, if not more, content to hold her close, stroke her hair, kiss her forehead, and keep her safe, secure, and comfortable until the morning came.

And he hoped for every day after that.