Hi everyone! This is the first chapter of A promise to keep with a final breath. This is my first time writing a Once upon a time fiction so please take it easy on me. I hope you enjoy the first chapter because there is a lot to come. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for taking the time to read this first chapter =)
A dry breeze rustled through the town as the sun beat down harshly over the buildings, offering little shade to those who were beginning to dry out from the intense summer. The only place that seemed to offer some shade was a small little diner, not to far from the main square. Everything was so beautiful. The grass was a emerald blanket while roses and flowers began to burst from the ground. A lone figure sat at one of the tables outside, under a large umbrella as they sipped a cold ice tea. There chest was heavy as they wept on the inside. Bruises lined their skin as old unspoken tales of pain.
Pain which they couldn't deal with... Pain which they couldn't believe in.
Pain they had to live with for the rest of their life.
The figured slowly moved the straw around the glass as they stroked their fingers along the side, collected the few droplets of water which had begun dripping onto the table. "Boy?" shouted a voice from back in the diner and the figure gave a deep sigh as they looked over their shoulder.
In the doorway stood a tall man. His features were steeled and cold. He moved almost mechanically as he walked forward. "What do you want." the figure at the table muttered before gazing back into his drink. It was strange how he looked in the surface of it. His delicate and soft face was perfect as were his deep green eyes. His hair was a mess of dark blond hair which fell in a fringe over his right eye. He wore a light polo shirt which hung to his eye drawing frame while he was barefoot with some Nike shorts which barely cut down to his knees. He looked very athletic, as though he could run for miles. "Just because your mom isn't here doesn't mean you can treat me like that." the man growled. "You will show me respect!"
"You will jump off a cliff." the boy growled and stared the man down. His emerald eyes pierced into cold, steel grey ones though he did not back down. "Besides... my mom hasn't been here for a long while just like my dad." The boy muttered as he stood to leave and felt his arm caught in a vice like grip.
"You got a real attitude problem James." the man growled.
"I guess I get one thing off my dad then. It's just a shame my dad isn't here to beat your head in!" He tried yanking his arm away but stopped as a hand smashed the side of his face.
He slowly turned his head back to look at man who he had to call his guardian. The man grinned at the pain he had caused the boy called James, relishing in the fact he had the control. James began to fight more frantically as he tried to pull his arm away. "You dare try and get away from me? I am the boss here." the man growled. "Do you understand!" James just kept fighting more until he saw the man's hand get pulled back for another hit. "You insolent brat-"
James closed his eyes tightly waiting for the strike to hit him. "Who the hell are you?" the man growled and slowly James inched his eyes open to see the man had been stopped not that far from hitting his face. A perfect hand was wrapped around the mans wrist and James began to notice the nails which were digging sharply into the mans skin. "Let go of him... and walk away." A soft voice said.
His eyes widened instantly and he looked up to see the woman who had saved him. Her hair was midnight black which was cut short and styled. He made out the faint shape of a scar on her upper rouge red lips. Her suit was tailored exactly to her body, and from what James could see from the craftsman ship; with great care and a nervous hand.
But he recognized that voice. Anyone would.
The man slowly began to let go of Jame's wrist which was turning purple slightly from the intense grip which had been holding it. Not once did his eyes leave the woman as he stared at her. "Mayor?" he whispered slightly but the woman just kept her cold gaze on his guardian before she moved slightly closer. "Do you really think that was wise? You evil filth." she whispered.
"Don't talk to me of wicked deeds. That would be the pot calling kettle black." he grinned slightly before she pushed him away. "Go. While my patience is still within my boundaries to keep it calm." she growled and slowly turned towards James. "Would you like a refill?" she smiled sweetly. Then her eyes widened as the boy began to sob as he clutched his wrist. "Hey." she said softly and knelt in front of him as she wrapped her arms around him. "It's going to be okay." she cooed sweetly. "It's going to be okay."
-Break-
James awkwardly sat back down after that as he stirred his drink. Every now and then he would pop one of the ice cubes into his mouth and smiled slightly as the cold melted and ran down his dry throat. Every time he would do this, the woman smiled and he saw a sparkle of amusement play in her eyes. "So, what was all that about?" she asked and leaned forward resting her head on her palm.
This would make James slightly nervous as he looked at her. Not because of any real reason... just the look of her eyes. There was something in her eyes that he saw every time he looked in the mirror. Something she was hiding behind the rich suit and expensive hair cut. Something in the dark of her eyes.
Something about her eyes that reminded him of his every single day of life.
Pain.
He slowly took a sip of his drink before he spoke up. "It was nothing... I shouldn't have been so disrespectful." He whispered.
"Disrespectful?" she raised an eyebrow as she seemed to almost laugh at his excuse. "Who can blame you when he approaches you like that?" she paused for a moment as she looked him over. "Does he always hit you like that?" she said bluntly.
"Excuse me?" James frowned as his moved his fringe over the darkening purple circles which were forming over is eye.
"Do you always let him hit you?" She said again simply.
"This is not a suitable conversation." James said quietly before taking a timid sip of his drink.
"You're not from this town are you?" She said just as blunt as ever.
"I came from England... London." He smiled slightly as his old fond memories. "I was abandoned there as a kid..."
"That wasn't your dad?"
"I thought you saw it all." He shot his eyes over to her.
"What's your name?" She finally said after a pregnant pause. "You can trust me." she smiled sweetly and he kept a cautious gaze on her.
"James." he said and suddenly he watched for a second a slight burst of shock go through her eyes... no... he was probably just imagining it.
"Well James. My name is Regina." she held out her hand formally and he took it with a slight smile of amusement at how she was.
"Are you always this formal with most sixteen year old boys?" he laughed slightly.
"Not all of them." she whispered. "But just don't tell anyone okay?" she smiled and got another laugh from James. "So James, do you have a place to stay?" That brought back a dropping glance as he looked back at his drink as he began to realize if it hadn't been enough already why his guardian hated him. After what happened this afternoon... he definitely had no place to go back to now. "I um... I-" His words stuck in his throat.
"I see..." she nodded. "Well we can't have that now can we? Do you have many belongings to be collected?" She looked at him and spoke so casually as though instead of offering him to live with her, she had just offered him if he would like a napkin to wipe his mouth. "Um... I have a few things yes." He nodded and she smiled as she placed some money on the table before standing. "Well then. Why stand on ceremony?" she stood and walked into the dinner leaving him sat by himself as she went to talk to someone.
He didn't notice until a hand was placed on his shoulder and looked up to see the nervous eyes of a tall woman with crimson hair. She seemed pretty well styled and he was quite impressed with how she was dressed. She had matched her own style to herself pretty well. "Hey... You with her?" the woman said and indicated to Regina.
"Uh... I guess?" James shrugged. He looked at Regina for a few moments before the girl turned his attention back to her. "Listen... be careful around her." she said before taking his empty glass and walking off. What the bloody hell is with this town? Jack frowned before Regina walked back out with a bright smile and pulled her handbag over her shoulder. "Ready to go?" she said.
"Ready as I will ever be." James smiled.
-Break-
They walked in silence for a while. James closed his eyes every now and then and allowed the sun to run over his face. He always loved the sunlight. The way it caressed his face. " What else made you two like that?" Regina said casually as she kept her gaze ahead of her as they crossed into the square and headed towards a large white house. "Excuse me?" James almost yelped. What was with this woman? he thought. She can read me like a open book...
"Something must have led you both to that." she said. "Other that the obvious..."
"It's nothing." James said.
"It's okay, you can trust me." She said and James began to feel the words slip out of him.
"He caught me staring at a handsome guy and figured out about me." His eyes widened as he came to a stop. How... how did that just happen? Maybe he might of had his head a bit to hard.
"You were staring at a guy... in a loving way?" She said, her voice was completely impassive, he couldn't tell anything from it.
"Yes." He yelped and blushed as he looked at the ground.
"Hmm..." she seemed to pause and come to a stop as she looked at him. She's going to hit me. He thought as she reached out and he flinched back. "What are you doing?" she frowned slightly and James realized that she had only just ruffled his hair. "Was he really that cute?" She asked as though he had never flinched at all.
"Yeah.." James nodded timidly before Regina smiled slightly.
"Well who knows. Maybe you will find someone in Story Brooke. Anything can happen here." She paused slightly as James came to a stop.
He looked around as slowly a soft tune began to envelope him. It was so beautiful he had to stop and just listen. The way the soft sound curled around him, it was like the wind running through the leafy trees of Autumn. He had to find where that music was coming from. He had to- "James?" Regina asked as he looked back at her. Slowly his thoughts shifting from the music back to her. "You think so?" he smiled though inside he felt like crying. That music was slowly fading and his heart felt like it could shatter. "I know so..." she said before walking across a long lawn. "Anyway, for now at least... welcome home."
"Heh?!" James' eyes widened as looked up at the large white house... no this place was like a mansion! He was used to living in gardens or on the streets. "Come on inside." Regina smiled. "I will make some tea..." she stopped as she looked back at him. "If that is what you would like?"
"You have no idea how desperate for a good cup of tea I have been lately." He returned the smile as she disappeared inside.
James turned back towards the road as he heard that music start again. The soft flowing tune which grabbed his heart painfully. The desperation to find that music was like a thirst. Like the need to breathe... "James?" called Regina, "Would you like something to eat?" He turned his head but before he could answer he caught the sight of figure stood at the end of the road. In a long robe made of different patches. James could feel himself stepping towards it but Regina soon brought his trance out again. "James?" He blinked a few times and watched as the figure vanished.
Maybe he had hit his head to hard...
He turned back to Regina's home and called softly. "Yes please... I think the sun has got to me a bit." he frowned as he walked back into the house feeling slightly empty and cold.
Little did he know that he was being watched by curious eyes.
