He misses her curls.
It's such an inconsequential thought even he doesn't quite understand where it comes from.
One moment Emma Swan is brazenly accusing him of murder, glaring at him and dismissing Belle's attempts at defending him, and the next he's thinking about her hair.
It's completely beside the point, and irrelevant to the enfolding events between them. But the thought comes and sticks to his mind.
And it dawns on him that it actually bothers him.
Because this straight, listless mess of blonde locks simply does not suit her. It reflects a side to her that seems flustered and wrong.
And it troubles him because this is not the woman he knows her to be.
As meaningless as they seem her curls are such an essential part of who Emma is that the absence of them is strangely jarring to him—like she's lost something he can't quite place. That element that completes her—makes her who she is.
The woman that was stubborn to a fault and unwavering in her beliefs. Who was strong, and determined, passionate and brave.
This girl seemed unsure and chaotic, flanked by her parents, as he gestured for her to follow him to the backroom while ordering Charming to go and fetch Pongo.
It's off putting and disappointing.
So when she falters, saying she can't control her own magic, it truly upset him.
It's why when he tells her, "Yes, you can," his tone is adamant and curt. It's also why it's laced with an undertone of encouragement.
Because he knows now that this Emma Swan was lost.
And she would need to find herself again.
She needed her curls back.
Author's Nots:
Hello all. So I've been contemplating trying to get back in to writing for a little while now—something I haven't done in a very long time—and this is my first go at it. Hope you enjoyed it. (It's a weird start, I know)
Golden Swan in my new and current obsession—even though I know my timing is less then ideal since this weeks episode will likely sink this ship once and for all—but I love them together, so screw it, I'm just gonna write them anyway.
I was partially inspired to venture back in to the world of writing by some of the amazing authors in the fandom like Ravenclaw992, Emma Swan, and BundyShoes (whose great series of oneshots gave me the idea to start off by writing my own collection of them)
Read their stuff, I'm not half as talented they are.