Certainty

by angellwings

(1/1)

Something had been bothering Robert for quite some time. Giselle had obviously known the story of Snow White when they'd met. She had wanted to find a house full of dwarves to stay in after all. So why would she take a bite out of an apple she acquired from a stranger? She must have known better. This question had been slowly gnawing at him since the ball. It just didn't make sense.

But he wasn't quite sure how to ask. He didn't want it to sound insulting. He was sure she had a reason. Even if he wouldn't understand her logic, he knew she had a reason. Giselle thought about things in a way no one else he had ever met did. He was convinced that was the reason he fell so hard and fast. His eyes turned to her as she nibbled on the eraser end of a pencil and stared thoughtfully at her sketch pad. They slid over her form as she sat curled up on his couch. He couldn't resist a smile. This whole scenario felt so perfect, but not too perfect. It felt just…right. Like she was meant to be curled up on his couch all along.

"Giselle?" He asked softly as he made his way to stand behind the couch. She turned to look over her shoulder at him.

"Yes?"

"You know the story of Snow White, right?" He asked curiously.

She nodded vigorously, "Oh yes. You know, I'm the one that taught her how to bake those famous blueberry pies she makes, but, of course, she'd never tell anyone that. She's Snow White after all. It's not possible for her not to know how to do something."

He chuckled as Giselle rolled her eyes and scoffed, "I see."

"Is everything all right?" She asked him worriedly. He moved around the couch to sit next to her.

"Everything's fine. I've just been thinking about something."

"Oh, what?" She asked as she turned her body toward him.

"If you know the story then why would you accept an apple from an old hag?" Robert asked her as he met her eyes. She blushed and looked away from him. She studied her hand as it held her pencil as if she didn't want to answer. "Giselle?"

She bit her bottom lip briefly before she spoke, "It was wrong of me to take the apple, I know."

"Then why did you?" He asked sincerely.

"I-I was leaving, and I thought I would never see you again."

"So, you thought the intelligent thing to do was to bite into a poisoned apple?" He asked incredulously.

She sighed, "No. I love you, Robert, and I had figured that out by then, but you were with Nancy and I was with Edward. I was supposed to marry him, but I wasn't in love with him anymore. Narissa, well, she promised that if I took a bite of the apple that I would forget everything about this place…and you. That I could forget I loved you and be happy with Edward. I thought it was the only way I was ever going to be truly happy again so I took the apple."

"Giselle," He said softly. It saddened him to think that at one point she had wanted to forget him, but it was also a relief to know how certain she was that she could never be happy with Edward.

"But if I could go back now I wouldn't take it. Even if things hadn't turned out all right in the end. No matter what happens I know that I never want to forget New York, Morgan, or you. I wouldn't be who I am now if I forgot all of that," She said quickly before he could say anything else.

He smiled warmly at her and kissed her temple gently, "Good, I need you and I wouldn't want you to forget me either."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. They leaned back on the couch and settled into a comfortable silence.

"Do you really need me, Robert?" She asked softly.

He grinned at her and nodded, "I don't know if you've noticed but I tend to be rather cynical—"

"No, you? Never," She said with a giggle.

"No, it's true," He said with a chuckle. "You always see the good in things. You see the 'happily ever after' if you will, and I never do. I always manage to see the worst in a situation. With in a split second I'm able to see a thousand ways something could end badly. It's why I decided love, true love, wasn't worth it. The tiny miniscule chance that it would all work out just didn't seem worth the risk to me. But you, you risk your heart and all you have for people you barely know. You keep my hope in humanity alive. I need that, and I most certainly need you."

She leaned forward and kissed his jaw gently before resting her head on his shoulder, "Then I guess we're even. I have a habit of getting carried away sometimes—"

"Sometimes?" He asked with a laugh.

"Oh, hush," She said as she lightly swatted at him. "You keep me grounded. You tell me the truth about things even if you know I won't like it."

"Is that a good thing?" He asked hesitantly.

She laughed and nodded, "It's a very good thing."

They sat in comfortable silence for several moments contemplating what they had just confessed to each other. It felt like a big moment for them, a step forward, and for a couple that was still trying to figure out what to do with their strong feelings that was plenty for one evening. For the first time in a long time Robert felt a satisfying sense of certainty. He knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this would be his first of many evenings spent with Giselle.

A/N: My roomie and I watched this movie tonight and I was suddenly struck with a bunny. Hope you all enjoy! :)