A/N: Well this is going to be crap. A one shot of firsts because I am not good at ouat fanfiction. Sorry.
Disclaimer: Not mine
The first time he made her genuinely smile was when he was telling her about his son. It partly made her smile because it reminded her of Henry and although Henry was painful to remember, he still gave her happiness. However, it also made her smile because this kind of stranger was trying to cheer her up. And it felt a little bit like someone cared.
The first time he held her hand was when they were in Storybrooke and it was raining. She remembered the way her hands were shaking from the cold. They were shaking so much that she couldn't get her key in her door. He saw her struggling and calmly took the key from her and held her frozen hand in his warm one as he unlocked the door in one, fluid movement.
The first time he hugged her was when she had just found out about her sister and was sitting on the wall alone. Still confused and upset by the revelation. She must have looked pitiful because he barely hesitated before pulling her into a hug. At the time she had tried to deny to herself that it made her feel better.
The first time he made her feel wanted was when they were in the enchanted forest and she was still being isolated by the town's folk. She was walking alone when he half ran to catch up so they could continue the journey together.
The first time she knew he cared was when he convinced her that putting herself under the sleeping curse was not the answer and gave her hope for her bleak future. Even though she ignored him at the time, she never forgot.
The first time she knew she loved him was when he was reunited with his wife and she had to step aside. It hurt. It hurt more than she thought it would but she did it anyway. Because she loved him. And love is sacrifice.