Title: Jitters
Author: mikipau
Rating: K+
Fandom: Once Upon A Time
Pairing: Ruby/Mary Margaret
Disclaimer: I do not own Once Upon A Time or the characters there within, I'm just borrowing them from time to time with a promise to return them unharmed and hopefully a little bit happier.
Summary: Mary Margaret has something to ask Ruby. Ruby/Mary Margaret fluff
Mary Margaret looked up from the paper, sipping her coffee slowly and glancing towards the bar. Ruby was behind it, serving Leroy a hearty breakfast. The younger woman was smiling her usual infectious smile and once in a while she'd giggle at the easy banter with the customers. The schoolteacher looked back down at the paper, trying to muster the courage she needed to carry out what she'd come here to do this morning.
Mary Margaret had always liked Ruby, but she'd also been slightly intimidated by her. The bold colours, the expressive make-up, the clothes, or more correctly, the lack of clothes. In so many ways she was the total opposite of Mary Margaret and even though they didn't spend more than the occasional girls-night-out together, besides her own visits to Granny's, the schoolteacher considered the younger woman her friend.
After the fallout with her grandmother Ruby had spent the night at Mary Margaret's place. The young, almost timid woman, who'd sat in the sofa next to Emma that night, while Mary Margaret had made them cocoa, had been an eyeopener for the schoolteacher. She was used to seeing the friendly, headstrong and confident Ruby at the diner and the sultry, easygoing Ruby on their nights out partying, but she'd never really seen the humble woman beneath all that bravado.
A slightly more decent sense of dress had been applied since Ruby had gone back to work at the diner. The flirty way that somehow was part of the essence of Ruby hadn't changed, and the schoolteacher thought the more modest dress only added to the long haired woman's attractiveness. Mary Margaret found that as more skin had been covered up she felt more relaxed around the younger woman as she didn't have to keep reminding herself to keep eye contact, or make efforts to not be distracted by bare thighs, or attempt to hide the heat steadily creeping up from her chest to her cheeks.
"M&M, d'you want a refill?"
Mary Margaret jumped in her seat. Ruby had given her the nickname after a long night at the bar when she'd eaten more peanuts than was good for her. She'd been sad and lonely after breaking it off with David. Emma was working late nights, trying to catch some teenagers as their apple-stealing apparently made Regina go rabid. The Mayor was, as usual, taking her displeasure out on the Sheriff and if Emma ever wanted to spend time with her son again she'd better get his other mother calmed down - quickly. Though Mary Margaret suspected the real drive behind the overtime was her blonde roommate's desire to get back into Regina's bedroom, as the door seemed to have slammed in her face and left her standing wanting on the other side.
Mary Margaret's breakup with David had been heartbreaking, yet she'd known it was the best thing to do. They had trust issues, David had lied to her and in the end she'd found his indecisiveness grating. Now, after two tumultuous months, she felt like she'd made the right decision. Her heart was still bruised, but it beat a steady rhythm and she'd noticed it sped up in the company of a certain person - Ruby. Her eyes moved from tight red trousers up to amused hazel eyes.
"Huh?"
"I asked if you wanted a refill?" Ruby stood before her, holding a coffeepot and gesturing towards the empty cup in Mary Margaret's hands.
"Oh," she blushed and looked down into her cup. She didn't really want any more coffee, the amount she'd already drunk was burning a hole through her stomach, but staying in the diner without ordering something else would seem weird. "I'm fine thanks," she closed her eyes, disappointed and chastising herself for being the biggest coward in Storybrooke. Gathering her things in preparation to leave, she was stopped by a warm hand on her shoulder.
"Are you okay?" Ruby's eyebrows were drawn together, a worried look on her face. "You seem both dazed and jittery at the same time."
"I-I-I'm fine." She tried smiling, but couldn't even meet Ruby's inquisitive gaze.
"No, you're obviously not. Things are slow here, I'm taking a break, let's go out back to talk."
Mary Margaret had no time to protest as an arm was placed around her shoulders, steering her through the diner to the back entrance and out into the alley. A few chairs were placed just outside the door and she was seated face to face with Ruby - the opportunity she'd been looking for now presented to her on a silver platter. She knew this was her chance to say what she'd been planning to all morning, before her courage had run away from her and the morose and depressed feelings had started closing in. She tried to gather her thoughts, still not meeting Ruby's eyes, instead looking down at her somewhat tattered shoes. She made a mental note to get a new pair to replace these ones when her next paycheck arrived.
"Mary Margaret, tell me what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong Ruby. It's... Ah... I have something I've been meaning to talk to you about but..." She trailed off, not really knowing what words to use to convey the feeling hammering in her chest.
"But?" The word was spoken softly, making Mary Margaret shift her eyes up and into caring hazel ones.
"But I don't know how."
Warm hands wrapped themselves around hers, pressing encouragingly. "I usually just jump right in. Sink or float." Ruby grinned. "You should try it."
Mary Margaret closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then she did something she hadn't thought herself capable of, and it definitely wasn't what she had planned - she kissed Ruby.
The kiss was soft, the scarlet lips pressed against her own tasted sweet and the long hair running through her fingers were like silk. When Ruby's hands came up to caress her face Mary Margaret forgot how to breathe. She felt the nervous tenseness in her muscles give way and a warm feeling spread throughout her body as the kiss, instead of ending, turned deeper and more intimate.
They had to break for air, breaths ghosting over lips and foreheads resting against each other. Ruby giggled - a happy sound that made tingles run down Mary Margaret's spine. A wide grin made it's way onto her face and her heart beat faster than she could ever remember it doing.
"Wow," she whispered, shyly looking into the glittering eyes so close to her own.
"Was this what you wanted to talk about?" Ruby's voice was husky, sending another thrill down Mary Margaret's back. The amused look on the younger woman's face dispersed the sexual tension considerably, replacing it with a glowing happiness in Mary Margaret's chest.
"Yes, or I mean no. I mean..." She let out an embarrassed giggle. "I meant to ask you if you could possibly, maybe, consider going out on a date with me. Sometime."
"Yes!" Ruby jumped up and down.
"Yes?"
"Yes! You silly woman. Yes, I want to go on a date with you! I've been trying to get your attention for months now, but I didn't think you got the hints, or maybe that you ignored them because you weren't interested."
Mary Margaret was gobsmacked. "You've been trying to...?" Her mouth fell open, leaving her looking like a fish on land, gasping for air. "I didn't realize. I feel like such a fool." She felt her cheeks turn scarlet.
"Don't," Ruby leaned in to place a kiss on her lips, unlike the passionate ones they'd shared minutes before this kiss was gentle, reassuring. "I know I can be a bit over the top with the flirting, and you probably just thought I was being a tease or... well... something." She shrugged. "Just know that I really, really, want this." She gestured with her hand between them, indicating she meant the two of them, together.
They fell silent, gazing at each other, silly smiles on their faces. A car honked, breaking the moment and Ruby quickly looked at her watch.
"I'm sorry, but I need to get back to work." She looked regretfully at Mary Margaret.
"It's okay. I understand."
Ruby stood up, turning towards the door. Mary Margaret reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers and holding the other woman back, turning her around with a gentle tug. "Friday at 7? For the date I mean."
Ruby smiled. "Friday at 7 is perfect."