A/N This takes place during the 7th book. They just won the second battle, and are having a huge party to celebrate. Snow and Charming lead the attack together, but things are still distant and awkward between them.
I dug this out of the depths of my computer because I felt pretty bad about the mini hiatus. I usually don't use as many of the actual song lyrics in songfics as I did in this one, but I just thought that the song and the situation went incredibly well together. I didn't use every single lyric, and some of them are out of order, so don't tell me that I got the lyric order wrong. I KNOW. I didn't want it to be so repetitive. NOTE: Song lyrics are in italics.
Oh, and I would REALLY love it if you guys would go to my profile and vote on my poll. I'm on the fence as to whether I should try to write a novel-length epic fanfiction or not. And if I should, should I make B10TSW one, or start a totally new one? Tell me in a review or vote on my profile. Thanks :) Oh, and if you have an idea for a one- or twoshot you think I should do, leave it in a review or PM me.
Disclaimer: I don't own The Sisters Grimm or the Story of Us.
Special thanks to limegreenwrdmachine for beta-ing :D
I'm not extremely happy with how this turned out, but I hope you enjoy anyway.
~Evil Scrapbooker
He waded through the crowd, Mr. Seven by his side. He went on autopilot, as he had done so often back when he was a prince. It was an excellent skill to have when one found oneself surrounded by too many people saying too many things at once too often. As he had. Sure, he had saved them all. They were grateful. But his mind was on what seemed like the only voice that hadn't spoken to him that night.
"Charming, I had my doubts, but that plan was genius."
"Excellent strategy."
"The prince will save us all!"
Smile. Nod. Witty remark. Laugh.
"The Scarlet Hand is doomed!"
Smile. Nod. Witty remark. Laugh.
After scanning the room all night, he finally spotted the familiar curly black hair, those beautiful curious eyes. Snow.
He wanted to speak to her, reach out to her, hold her again. But both he and Snow knew he couldn't. Because he had broken one of the most important rules in their relationship: He had saved her life.
I used to think one day we'd tell the story of us
How we met and the sparks flew instantly
So many years ago, and yet he remembered the first day he saw her so clearly. She had looked like a china doll, skin porcelain and flawless, a sea of black curls forming a dark halo, long lashes reaching up to heaven from her delicately closed eyes. The next thing he knew, the Powers that Be had compelled him to kiss her, and she woke up, big blue eyes filled with wonder and a childlike naiveté, and before he could blink, they were engaged. He had been the happiest man alive, at only seventeen. Seventeen. Real, human seventeen, without Everafter magic. That was another thing he could thank her for. Without her, he would've died six hundred years ago.
People would say, "They're the lucky ones."
He had been approached by many a jealous friend, and told just how lucky he was after their engagement. He couldn't have agreed more.
I used to know my place was the spot next to you
They were so in love, always together.
Now I'm searching the room for an empty seat.
'Cause lately I don't even know what page you're on.
They still talked. They didn't avoid each other anymore, thank God. But when they spoke, it was distant and polite, two people who barely knew each other, who spoke only out of necessity. Where did they stand?
A simple complication,
Miscommunications
Lead to fallout
He had lied to her. Made her miserable. Tortured her. But he did it all to save her life, which, ironically, was the part she was most upset about. He just wanted to protect her, and didn't know how else to do it. Why couldn't she see that?
So many things that I wish you knew
She had no idea what she had done to him. How many evenings he had spent tortured by memories of her, sleepless nights when he couldn't stop thinking of her, hours swimming in guilt about deceiving her, all those "hunting" trips over the years, all those tears he had shed over her. For him to pour that much emotion into one person had to mean that he loved her. How could she ever think otherwise?
So many walls up I can't break through
They had both built barriers, over all those years of avoiding each other. How could they ever tear them all down?
Now I'm standing alone in a crowded room and we're not speaking
He was surrounded by people congratulating him, slapping him on the back, shaking his hand. Never before had he had so many supporters, so many friends. So why did he feel so alone?
And I'm dying to know
Is it killing you like it's killing me?
Snow was off at a table across the room, talking with the Grimms and Gepetto. She was laughing, and for an instant, he thought he saw a glimpse of that childish trust in her eyes that he had fallen in love with the first time he saw her. It had withered away over the years, each bit of pain whittling away at it until it was all gone. He wondered if she longed to speak to him as much as he did her. She looked so happy, as if her life would go on perfectly fine without him. Like she didn't need him. He looked down. She couldn't be missing him like he missed her.
I don't know what to say
Since a twist of fate
When it all broke down.
A stab of pain coursed through him. He could see her in her wedding dress, more beautiful than ever, crying and running out the church doors, struggling with her long train, saying it wasn't the right time, she was sorry. His heart had never ached so deeply.
And the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now
How could they ever repair things?
How'd we end up this way?
See me nervously pulling at my clothes and trying to look busy
And you're doing your best to avoid me
Their conversations were rare now, and completely awkward. He had seen her duck out of the room whenever he came in, dodging the embarrassed silences that were bound to follow. He had been naïve, stupid. He had assumed that things would work out perfectly, that they would live happily ever after. His heart had never been broken before or since. A small part of him still wanted to cry out in surprise and pain. How had they ended up this way?
I'm starting to think one day, I'll tell the story of us
How I was losing my mind when I saw you here
But you held your pride like you should've held me.
Something about wanting to protect herself. Not wanting to have to rely on him. Didn't she think she could count on him? Didn't she think he could protect her?
Oh, we're scared to see the ending
Why are we pretending this is nothing?
I'd tell you I miss you but I don't know how
I've never heard silence quite this loud
Her absent voice burned his eardrums, drowning out all the other sounds in the room. All he could hear was her, not talking to him.
Is it killing you like it's killing me?
Charming sank into a chair, his head pounding. Worried friends blurred by, asking if everything was all right. He heard himself mumble something about feeling a little off, something about having to sit down a moment to each of them.
He would never forget that expression of worry, and fear, and sadness in those big blue eyes, the flutter of her long white train and she ran out. They should've been happily married for six hundred years. Where had he gone wrong?
And the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now.
He bit his lip to keep the tears from coming.
This is looking like a contest
Of who can act like they care less
He thought of her, laughing with the Grimms. Not caring about him at all. Why should she care about him, if her life was so wonderful without Prince Charming?
But I liked it better when you were on my side
Couldn't they work together? Meet somewhere in the middle?
The battle's in your hands now
But I would lay my armor down
If you said you'd rather love than fight.
If she were willing to make up, he would go back to the way things were in a heartbeat.
So many things that you wish I knew
But the story of us might be ending soon
Six hundred years he'd spent living for her. He had lost his castle, his family, his kingdom, his money, his friends, and even his charm over the years. But she was still there, so there was a reason to keep going. That small glimmer of hope of a future with her was the only thing that had kept him going for centuries.
Was there any hope for them anymore? His heart sunk.
Maybe it was time to end this. Forever.
I don't know what to say since a twist of fate
Charming lifted his head, scanning the room for her. She wasn't with the Grimms anymore.
He was tired of this. So tired. Six centuries of back and forth, on and off. He couldn't play this emotions game much longer.
'Cause we're going down.
Things between them had been going down for six hundred years. It wasn't worth it anymore.
And the story of us looks a lot like a tragedy now.
There was no need to waste another six hundred years on this wild goose chase. He should just end this before it got any more painful.
When, he wondered, would be the time to do it? And how? He'd heard of permanent sleeping spells, perhaps that would be the most painless option. Eternal sleep. What a pleasant way of putting it.
Then someone cleared their throat delicately behind him. He stood up, whirling around.
There she was, trying to look distant and formal. But for a split second, he thought he saw tears beneath the surface of those expressive eyes. Then they flickered, and it was gone.
Snow tossed her long curly hair over her shoulder, making it ripple like waves in a black sea. She bit her lip, and Charming couldn't help noticing that she looked even more beautiful in combat boots and her military uniform than she did in her wedding dress.
"Is everything quite all right, Mr. Charming?" Her voice was solid and calm.
"Yes, thank you, Ms. White. I appreciate your concern."
"You did an excellent job today, Sir. I must congratulate you on your military strategy." He had heard the same thing all day. But it only meant something coming from her.
"Thank you, Ms. White. But it couldn't be done with just any group of fighters. I must congratulate you on producing such well-trained soldiers."
A twinge of a smile played around her face. "Thank you, Mr. Charming. For . . . for everything."
She lingered for a moment, obviously drowning in all the unsaid words between them. Then the awkwardness became too much to bear, and she disappeared into the crowd.
And Charming had a reason to go on living again.