The warming reds and yellows of the raising morning sun slowly dripped onto the dark wet pavement of Storybrooke. The wee hours of the day were just beginning to tick away, though most of the citizens of the small sleepy Maine town were still tucked warmly in bed.
A lone door opened breaking the quiet of the dawn, and Emma Swan burst through onto the sidewalk, headphones plugged in and running shoes tied up. Taking a moment to select a song on her player, Emma hit play and looked up and down the street with trepidation. Emma was going jogging for the first time in her life.
Mary Margaret had archery. Henry and Regina had riding. Even David would break out his sword and tussle around the forest. Emma decided with the passing of New Year it was time to start seriously training herself, because she couldn't always depend on her wonky under practiced powers. Sure, she loved a good spar, but it was time to really start to push herself. At least, that was the white lie she repeated to her family.
Emma suddenly taking up running had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that Neal Cassidy had a habit of getting up super early for breakfast before opening up his father's shop. Nope. Nothing to do with the effect his ever growing presence had on her reawakening feelings. Absolutely nothing to do how cute his face scrunched up in the morning before he had coffee. She hoped she didn't run into him! Despite the fact that her planned out path hit every mark he may or may not pass in the town.
As music changed over to something with more rhythm, Emma started to get lost in her steps as they matched the beat of the song. She started to run a little faster, pushing herself past the main street and following the path into the park towards the beach.
"So this is what all the fuss was about," Emma thought to herself as she reached an almost otherworldly meditative state. It was with this brief moment of self control that took her far away from Storybrooke into another place within herself, so far that she didn't see the man standing in front of her as they collided suddenly, throwing them both on the ground.
Emma ripped out her earplugs to look up at the stranger she plowed into.
"What the hell, Emma?" Neal rubbed at his hands to shake off the grit from the ground. Neal pushed himself up and held out a hand to offer to Emma. She followed him up and stood awkwardly a few feet from him.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry. I didn't noticed you standing there. Damn it." Emma flinched, she had scraped the skin off the bottom of her hand.
"You okay? Here." Neal pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket.
"May I?" Neal motioned towards her hand, and Emma only nodded her consent and held out her wound as he dabbed at it lightly.
"Since when did you start jogging?" Neal smirked as he wrapped the handkerchief softly around her hand.
"Since when are you the kind of guy to carry around cloth napkins in his pocket?"
"My dad has a lot of them hanging around the shop. Managed to lift a few, its a little game we play that he doesn't know about."
"Ha, yea, knowing your father Neal, pretty sure he knows."
"Guess that's true, though he's been a little distracted with his new wife."
"That not awkward for you, being in the same house and all?"
"They've been MIA for the last few days. Plus Granny gave me a long standing invite to crash in a room. Actually I've been meaning to clear out the last bit of junk I have stored there. If you aren't busy, was wondering if you'd like to help me maybe? I kinda don't have a car."
Emma was stunned, he'd managed to get all that out in a few breaths. Sounded like he'd been practicing.
"Maybe on the weekend? I don't know. I'll see." Emma fidgeted and looked down at her watch.
"Oh no, will you look at that. I still need to get ready for work and open up the station."
"So that a no to breakfast? Not like there's exactly a whole lot of crime going down."
Emma began to run in place, "Nope, sorry. Maybe next time. I have years of paper work to catch up on. Don't forget to pick up Henry after school today."
With that Emma ran off, cringing at herself, leaving Neal back in the park.
"What the hell was that," thought Emma to herself.
Before she could begin to pontificate on the series of events leading to that awkward exchange she thrust herself into (starting with savings Neal's life in the forest not to long ago) Emma felt her phone buzzing in her pocket.
Absentmindedly, Emma grabbed at the phone and saw with face flashing at her.
Hook.
"Crap."
