After Jefferson kidnapped her and Mary Margaret, Emma Swan had felt she needed someone to lean on.
Someone who was older than Henry. Someone who was stronger than Mary Margaret. Someone who wasn't afraid of Regina. Someone who wasn't delusional like everyone else in Storybrooke.
Someone like him.
The first night it happened was the night after her abduction. She had lain in her bed staring at the ceiling; afraid to fall asleep and be caught off guard again. As soon as the clock blinked 2:00, she pulled back the covers and sighed. She figured a walk might exhaust her and force her into slumber.
She walked right up to the bar and ordered a Jack on the rocks. If she was going to break her own rules, she was going to make it worth her while.
"Who ever would've thought the sheriff drinks on weeknights?" She spun around and came face to face with August Booth smiling at her questioningly. She signed and turned back towards the bar.
"Can't the sheriff have a little fun once in a while without everyone being on her case?" She could feel his breath on her ear before he even responded.
"I bet you'd have the most fun in my room, princess." She felt a tingle go down her spine as she turned her head to see him wink at her. She gave him the dirtiest look she could muster and he laughed as he took the seat next to her at the bar. "Seriously Emma, what's wrong? I've been here for months and I haven't seen you drink a drop of anything other than water. Something must be really bothering you."
"Nothing is wrong, I just couldn't sleep and started thinking about how much I missed Jack," she fake smiled then took a sip of her drink to emphasize her point. "I'm just trying to loosen up."
He narrowed his eyes a bit as he leaned closer to her. "I know you're lying Emma just tell me what's going on. You can trust me."
She broke his too-knowing stare and fingered her drink in her hands wondering if she should tell him. She bit her lip and looked right into his eyes and replied, "Really August, I'm fine. Don't you think if something was wrong I would talk to Mary Margaret and not someone I barely know?"
He smirked and tilted his head. "Possibly, probably. But what if it's something you don't feel comfortable even telling Mary Margaret? What if it's something that makes you look weak? We all know you don't do vulnerability, Sheriff."
Her expression darkened as she downed the last of her drink in a large gulp. She threw money down on the bar and stood up abruptly. "You don't know anything about me, so don't act like you do."
She turned and walked as fast as she could out of Granny's. She couldn't believe the nerve of that man, thinking he could analyze her to her face. As she was fuming about August, she ran into someone's chest.
"I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going I'm so-" Emma stopped talking as soon as she looked up and saw Jefferson smiling his creepy smile down at her. Her eyes widened and she began to back away from him. Doing this of course made his smile widen and caused him to step closer to her every time she pulled back. She was starting to really lose her nerve when she heard him.
"Emma!" August was running up to them. "Emma, wait! I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend you I was only trying to…" August stopped talking and running as soon as he saw the look on Emma's face. He began to slowly walk towards them and stopped when he got next to Emma. He faced Jefferson with a smile, "I'm sorry, I just got to town a few months ago, I don't think I've met you, you are?'
August held out his hand for Jefferson to shake but Jefferson ignored it and stepped closer to August and began inspecting him.
"May I ask what exactly is your name?" Jefferson grumbled at August.
"This is August Booth, he's a writer. He's here researching his new novel and has been interviewing everyone in town about their lives," Emma replied for August, subconsciously stepping closer to him. "He was just doing my interview and we got sidetracked, but we really should finish, right August?"
He looked down at her with confusion written all over his handsome face. She took another step closer to him and took his arm and silently pleaded with her eyes for him to take her away from this situation. He seemed to get the message as he turned back to Jefferson and gave him his best smile.
"You're right Miss Swan, we really must finish it's already late I wouldn't want to keep you out all night. It was nice meeting you."
Jefferson looked furious as August turned and brought Emma back to Granny's for an explanation. Just as they were about to go inside she stopped him with a hand to his arm.
"Not here. I can't talk in here. There are too many people it's so… I can't… It's… Can we go somewhere else? I'll tell you just… not here, okay?" Emma begged him.
"Of course. Let's just go upstairs to my room so we don't run into him again," he replied gently giving her a small smile.
The walk up to his room was silent. She was shaking and trembling by now and she knew he had noticed it. She knew she should feel uncomfortable with him seeing her this vulnerable, but was surprised to find that she really wasn't. As soon as they were both inside and August quietly closed the door, she sat on his bed, put her head in her hands and began to cry. August sat next to her on the bed and stroked her hair and listened as she told him everything that happened the night before. When she was finished, he was still silent and she began to get worried. Was she really that ridiculous? Was she so weak she couldn't handle an incident where she didn't even get hurt? She picked up her head from her hands prepared to leave in shame but what she saw startled her: August was red-faced, shaking a bit and his left eye was twitching a bit.
"Ar-Are you… mad?" she whispered. When he looked back at her and she saw the anger and fire in his eyes, she began to move away from him.
"Of course I'm mad!" He spat, standing up abruptly. "How dare this guy, thinking he can kidnap not one but two women and keep them hostage over things that are never going to happen in this world! What if you didn't get out of there, hm? He probably would've killed you both in his psychotic episode! I'm going to go take that son of a bitch out!" He yelled starting for the door.
"So, you're not mad at me?" Emma whispered from her curled up position on the bed. He stopped mid step and spun around. His expression softened as soon as he saw her. He walked until he was in front of her and he knelt down to her level.
"Of course I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at what he did to you. And tried to do to you," he whispered back brushing some hair out of her face. "None of this is your fault, how could anyone be mad at you?"
"He was, he was so mad I couldn't get his hat to work," she bit her lip as her eyes refilled with tears.
"Well that will forever be his problem, not yours," he smiled at her and stood up. "Come on, you're staying here tonight." Her eyes widened and as she opened her mouth to respond. "Don't worry, I'll sleep over the covers and you can sleep under them. You don't want to sleep alone tonight and I could never leave you alone after everything that you just told me," he cut her off smiling. He unzipped her jacket and slowly pulled out each arm until it was off her. He then undid and took off each of her boots and gently pushed her to lie back on his bed. He took off his coat and shoes, and went to the dresser and took out two pairs of sweatpants.
"Here, take these I'm going to change in the bathroom, you change in here and then we'll go to sleep," he handed her the sweatpants and disappeared. Emma was so confused as to what was happening but she did as she was told and when August came out she was under the covers already. He turned off the lights and went to lay down on top of the quilt when Emma grabbed his arm to stop him. She then folded back the covers for him.
"Just get in. And don't ask me if I'm sure; I am so just do it," she deadpanned. He chuckled and settled underneath the covers. The bed was too small for the two of them so after they both shuffled around in an attempt to get comfortable Emma sighed and told August to lie on his side facing her. She then did the same so there was only an inch or so between their two bodies.
"You know Sheriff, if you wanted to cuddle you could've just asked," he chuckled.
"You wish," Emma muttered as she pulled the covers up to her ear. She yelped when she felt August put his arms around her and pull her to him. He rested his chin on her shoulder and sighed.
"Neither of us would ever sleep trying to not touch each other out of fear of awkwardness. This is better for both of us. Goodnight," he whispered in her ear as he subconsciously pulled her a little closer.
She smiled softly as she drifted to sleep in his arms thinking it wasn't so bad to be vulnerable.
It wasn't until the morning that she realized she had never felt safer.