You Can't Deny It
Chapter 1: Avoiding
Emma sat alone in Granny's sipping black coffee, Henry was safe but she still felt this horrid feeling in her stomach, like a mother's instinct but not even that, something else, something more. She kept trying to swat it away convince herself otherwise but this sort of feeling was always difficult to ignore.
"I just need time to get her get mindset back." Emma told herself.
So much had happened.
Neal suddenly coming back from the dead hadn't helped her psyche either. She had admitted she loved him before he fell into that portal and that was something she just didn't do. She found just the memory awkward. She had spent so long hardening herself from those emotions and after everything she had been through; she never again wanted to get hurt.
Sometimes she didn't even want to feel at all. It was safer that way, being emotionally numb. But ever since she had come to Storybrooke, she knew she had changed. She loved Henry with all her heart and she'd found her parents. It was all so overwhelming but at the same time it was all so foreign to her.
She closed her eyes now, taking it all in and sighed deeply. All those feelings she had repressed, if she decided to feel again, properly feel that is, they'd all come flooding out.
She would be brining her walls down and that just didn't seem logical to her.
The bell rang dispersing her thoughts and Emma looked up to see who it was. She was so anxious these days and of all people it was Neal who strode in. She watched him smile warmly at Granny, while ordering a coffee and then began to survey her surroundings, wondering if she could leave without him seeing her.
Luckily, Hook seemed to have backed off, so that was one less person to avoid. She still didn't understand why she had kissed him. Emma shook her head trying to shake off the memory.
Emma cursed as she heard footsteps behind her she just knew Neal had seen her.
He walked over to her now and Emma turned to face him in her seat.
"I was just leaving." she nearly blurted but managed to speak properly.
"You know town Sherrif and all." she added getting up to leave.
Neal waited a few seconds before speaking, he looked at the floor and then at her, that unique smile lighting his face.
"You gonna take the coffee? He asked pointing at her cup which sat near to full and pathetically on the table.
"No, I've had enough." Emma replied, due to her stubborn nature. She had clearly forgotten the cup.
"How's Henry?" Neal then asked, changing the subject. He knew her too well.
"He's fine, I think. He's been through a lot, but he's a tough kid." Emma replied.
"Yes, yes he is" Neal agreed.
"Anyway's I better be off" Emma spoke quickly and left before he could say anything else.
Neal's eyes followed her to the exit.