Chapter 9: Maybe

Mary Margaret rushed to brush her teeth and put her shoes on at the same time. How she'd overslept was beyond her. She was still up an hour before she usually was on a normal day. However, the past couple of days had been anything but normal and Mary Margaret was finding that she was beginning to like that very much. She unceremoniously shoved her hat on and practically ran out the door, shouldering her bag haphazardly as she double checked that the door was locked.

The air was cold and crisp but Mary Margaret barely noticed as she steered her truck towards the coffee shop. Luckily, traffic was light this early in the morning. She entered the coffee shop, first glance going towards the chairs and table in the corner to see that they were empty. Biting back a twinge of disappointment, she approached the counter to find August gazing at her in a bemused sort of way.

"What?" she asked, feigning to look around at any other potential persons he could be looking at.

"Double today?" he asked, a knowing smile still his lips.

"No, I'm good, thanks." She really was. After two nights in a row of barely any sleep, last night was a welcome change. No nightmares at all. She'd slept so soundly, she hadn't heard her first alarm go off. Luckily, she always set two just in case. Pulling off her gloves, she glanced around as the door opened. It wasn't David.

"Meeting anyone?" August asked as he swiped her card.

Mary Margaret's eyes widened and her lips parted in surprise as she stared at August. How did he know? Of course, he was bound to notice her and David talking yesterday. It's not like Mary Margaret really talked to anyone, much less invite them to sit with her. She really didn't know how to respond to August's question though. David hadn't technically said he'd be here this morning. Technically, neither did she. Technically.

"Easy," August said, handing her card back to her, barely suppressing a laugh. "I had to give you a little guff. It's not every day a knight in red flannel sweeps Mary Margaret off her feet. Literally."

"Is it really that obvious?" Mary Margaret replied, cheeks burning.

"No, I just read people well," he replied, setting to work on her drink. Mary Margaret watched him work, too flustered to think of a good comeback at the moment. She'd give him one later, though, that much was certain.

"He was going to pay for the cup that got broken when you ran into each other. Did you notice that?" he asked after a few moments, glancing briefly at her while he poured the milk.

"No. No, I didn't," she responded thoughtfully. It wasn't very surprising, really. David certainly seemed like the honorable type. August smiled knowingly again.

"Stop looking so smug, August."

"It's a rare day where I can be smug with you Ms. Snow," he quipped as he handed her the bluebird cup. "I have to take full advantage of it when the opportunity arises." With a wink, he turned to help the next customer in line. Mary Margaret snorted, conceding him this small victory.

She grabbed a couple of napkins and turned towards her newly designated seat when the bell on the door chimed again and in walked David. She let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding and her heart warmed as he glanced around the corner, clearly looking for her. His brow furrowed at her absence and he turned around, eyes meeting hers, and he seemed to let out a breath of his own. Mary Margaret felt rooted to the spot as he smiled that charming half-smile that made his blue eyes light up, the one she was secretly beginning to wish was just for her. He took a few steps toward her, hands in his pockets.

"Morning!" she said brightly, in a manner that she hoped would mask just how much his presence effected her.

Charming, indeed.

He chuckled. "Good morning. I see you're tempting fate again." Mary Margaret looked at him questioningly. "You didn't get a to-go cup," he explained, gesturing to her coffee.

Mary Margaret let out a breathy laugh, glancing at the bluebird cup in her hands. "Ha, yeah I..." she trailed off, unable to voice what she was thinking without feeling foolish.

He took a step closer, tilting his head toward her. "You werent sure if I was coming," he said softly.

It wasn't a question and she wasn't sure how she felt about how intuitive he was. She glanced up at him and knew then, with one hundred percent certainty, that she was done for. His gaze held so much strength and warmth, curiosity and understanding. She wanted to throw a sarcastic remark back in his face to lighten the mood, wanted to ignore the pounding of her heart.

Instead, she whispered, "No."

The vulnerability in her own voice as she said it made her want to cringe. She half expected him to have a cheeky comeback or turn around and head for the hills, but David simply gazed at her for a brief moment before giving a slight nod in understanding.

"Well," he continued lightly, "may I join you? I can't stay long today but-"

"Yes, that's fine," Mary Margaret said breathlessly, half exasperated with herself and half relieved David hadn't pushed to continue the conversation.

He seemed to pick up on her change in mood, merely giving another small nod before going to order his coffee. Mary Margaret made her way over to what was becoming their corner of the shop and sat down in her chair. After making sure her coffee cup was placed securely in her hands, she looked up and caught David staring at her. He glanced down when their eyes had met on the pretense of grabbing a couple of napkins, but she could see a light blush on his cheeks. Well, at least she wasn't the only flustered one in this situation.

David made his way over to his chair, to-go cup of coffee in hand. "Got some extra napkins," he said, holding them up for her to see. "We do have a poor track record."

Nice try, Charming.

"Yes, I saw that," she quipped with a knowing smirk. His eyes snapped to hers intently, a look that she was beginning to grow used to. He was charming, honorable, and earnest it seemed. Seeing her teasing smile seemed to relax him somewhat, though his look turned a bit sheepish.

"That obvious huh?" he asked, sounding a bit nervous. She had to bite back a giggle as he spoke her own words from earlier. They were quite the pair.

"Maybe a little," Mary Margaret responded softly, taking a sip of her coffee as she took in his reaction. David let out a breathy laugh, looking down at the coffee in his hands as he leaned his elbows on his knees. He looked exhausted, which concerned her more than it probably should. He glanced up at the clock on the wall before turning his eyes back to hers.

"I'm sorry but I have to go. Work has been piling up and I need to go in to try and sort it all out. I probably won't be able to come here for the rest of the week."

"Oh," she said, trying not to sound disappointed and casting her eyes down at her own cup. Maybe he'd changed his mind? "Yeah, no problem."

There was a moment of awkward silence before David broke it. "I was... wondering..." Mary Margaret glanced back up at him, daring to hope, "maybe we could meet here on Saturday morning? To talk?"

If Mary Margaret didn't know any better, she could swear her heart was doing a tap dance. He was looking hopefully at her, and she could tell he was holding his breath without even realizing it.

Gosh, you're adorable.

"Maybe," she replied with a cheeky grin.

David chuckled, the sound making Mary Margaret grin even broader. He shook his head good naturedly and leaned toward her. "I'll take 'maybe'."

"Good, it's a date," she quipped as lightly as her nervousness would allow.

A smile slowly crept onto his face at her words. "Yes, it's a date."


Sorry this was a shorter chapter but it was a good breaking point. The next one will be longer :) Get ready, lots of interesting stuff and more characters coming up! As always, thanks for the follows, favorites, and reviews!