Guest Reviews

Guest: Thank you, sweetie! I'm looking forward to developing the SB storyline later (once that muse wrangles and I get more prompts for it). Ingrid's intentions will come through later!

Thank you, readers, for being so patient with my muse.

Title: Lessons
Summary: December is finally cold, so that means winter traditions must be upheld, and Graham has to learn.
Note: Prompt from anon on Tumblr: "Gremma iceskating, alone, Emma is skillful, Graham is not." I know you said alone, anon, but muse decided a side character had to be there for a bit to make things more difficult. No Henry this time, though. Set after Anniversary.

"This looks dangerous."

Emma looked up from her laces, smirking at her boyfriend. "It can be," she teased. "Try not to smack your head on the ice."

Graham looked indignant, eyes narrowing as he stood unsteadily on the thin skates. "Who ever thought of walking over a frozen lake with only two razor blades to hold you up?" he grumbled.

Emma grinned, and took his hands to pick herself up. Though he made a concerted effort, he still wobbled as he supported her weight and balance. "I'd like you to at least have a crash course before we drag the kid out here," she reminded, pulling him slightly towards the rink.

Ever since the rinks had opened all around the city in November, Henry had begged to go. Emma and he had gone once or twice to the one in Central Park once the air finally had a bit of chill to it last week. The kid wanted a family outing, though, and had turned big eyes on Graham and her to plead for a day out this coming weekend. The fact that Graham had never been ice skating before, in any of his memories, had made Emma resist. Especially since Henry had his heart set on the ever-touristy Rockefeller Center. Today, a Tuesday, had made the Lasker rink at least slightly less crowded for their instruction.

Emma had a feeling that they'd need the room.

Graham stumbled forward awkwardly, and she tried not to laugh outright. He could be so confident, his steps so light and careful as he moved through the streets and the forest. He had needed to be quick and quiet in his first life, and he carried over those traits with him now. She had never seen him this clumsy; she had always gained that title. She couldn't help being amused to see the turn of character.

She pulled him close at the edge of one of the partitions, her lips grazing his in reassurance. He sighed, and wrapped his arms around her waist. He was still resting most of his weight against the half-wall, so she dragged him off of it and finally onto the ice.

Almost immediately, one knee hit the ground. He looked up at her, frustration pronounced as he huffed out a puff of cold air. "This is unnatural," he protested.

She skated in an arc to his other side and helped him stand against the partition again. "Get your balance first," she said.

He brushed the flakes off of his knee and muttered something under his breath.

She grinned at that, but then pulled a straight face when he squinted up at her. "C'mon, I'll show you."

He stood once more, then looked out at the others skating around the circuit.

Emma joined him for a second of people watching. There were mostly families out this morning, a few tourists and kids too young to be in school yet. In the center, there were even a few teens doing simple tricks, little hops and spins and generally showing off as they likely played hooky. Emma pointed to a three year old between his parents. "See? Even toddlers can do it," she teased.

"Closer to the ground," he grumbled, but pushed off. He hesitated, gaining his balance but not moving his feet. "How do I do this?"

She scooted forward to meet him the couple inches onto the ice. "Just whatever feels most comfortable. I didn't learn the right way; I like to keep one foot planted. But when you look around, you can see that most people move both feet."

"Well, that's not confusing," he drawled.

She skated along the edge, quickly back and forth to demonstrate her modified technique. "See?" It was what worked for her, even if it wasn't technically right. It wasn't like she had gotten any formal instruction.

Her first trip on the ice was when she was nine. It was one of the events that had been put on locally for the foster kids. She, however, had basically been forgotten amidst the younger kids, and the rest of the older ones already knew how to skate. She had stubbornly skipped the quick lesson provided by the event coordinator, and went about falling a considerable amount of times before she got the hang of her own balance. She never could break the habit she had created that day, and didn't mind since she could still enjoy her time on the ice.

Henry did the "correct" way of skating, even though in this life she had taught him. Regina hadn't let him in his first one, so instead it was Maggie that he had imitated. Maggie had always teased that the kid thought she was more graceful. Emma couldn't exactly disagree on that.

She shook off the memory and looked up. Graham's dark blue eyes were sharply focused on her feet, his face twisted in befuddlement. "Why is this enjoyable?" he asked, then tried to mimic her. His feet slid, and he awkwardly scooted forward without picking the blades up.

"Okay, that's good," she coaxed, ignoring his grumpiness. "Now try to balance on one foot so you can actually move. You'll feel more stable."

He gave her an incredulous look. "I'll feel more stable on only one of the tiny pieces of metal?"

She laughed. "I mean, once you get the hang of swinging back and forth with your legs, going with the curve rather than trying to stay flat. Just know you're going to fall again."

"That's comforting," he said sardonically. His mouth parted, and his eyebrows stitched together as he tried, lurching back and forth as he struggled to remain upright.

She blew out a breath and grabbed his hands, helping him glide a little. She clicked her tongue. "Henry's going to skate circles around us if you keep this up."

"I think he will anyway," he replied. "Especially if you're staying behind with me."

Suddenly, a sharp hiss of blades screeched in front of them, ice flicking up against Graham who huffed in exasperation. The skater tossed back one of her dark pigtails and snorted loudly. "I see we've made progress."

Andie had called earlier that day, complaining about taking inventory and the lack of patrons. When Emma had been in the middle of explaining what they were doing, Andie just gave an abrupt "meet you there." Of course her entrance had to be signaled with such drama.

Emma bit down at her lip in an attempt to hide her smirk. "He's still getting a hang of it."

Andie wrinkled her nose. "I came out here because I was bored at the bar. I don't want to come all the way out here just to be bored somewhere else. This is not entertaining for me, and we all know that's the most important thing."

"Don't rush me," Graham bit out grouchily, legs swaying as he tried to skate.

Andie said something sharp in Vietnamese and pulled her cap over her ears. "It's too cold to be waiting over here. Get moving, Humbert. You'll warm up."

"What she means is she's impatiently waiting for me to fall," Graham grumbled.

Emma didn't doubt it, could see the way the brunette's eyes snapped to him expectantly during her lap. "Your friend," Emma quipped.

Graham looked up at her, lips tugging slightly. "Yeah, guess so."

Emma reached out and took his hands to pull herself gently into his space, her eyes resting on his. Those cobalt depths were suddenly serene, pleased. She knew exactly how he was feeling at the moment; some days, remembering all the friends she had in this life was overwhelming for her, too.

He leaned in and bumped her cold nose with his. "I guess it's not so bad."

Andie swung by on her next loop, but this time her gloved hand grabbed Graham's wrist and she dragged him out on the ice a couple feet before dropping it just as quickly. Emma just managed to keep upright as he was pulled away. "It's supposed to be a lesson, lovebirds, not an excuse to make out in a corner. Come on, Humbert!"

Gracefully, she spun around the two in a figure eight, easily bypassing the other skaters making their circuits. She wore a bright grin despite the way her eyes rolled.

Emma giggled and caught her hand playfully. She spun her, and Andie laughed the whole way. She finished with flourish, pointed toe and a bow. "See? It's easy!"

Graham's brows were almost hidden by the curls covering his forehead. "Oh, yes, definitely easy," he said and tried once more to glide.

He stumbled a little and Emma moved from the other girl to throw an arm around his waist. She peeked up at him from under his arm. "Do it for the kid," she reminded.

He sighed and nodded, wobbling forward as he disentangled himself from her. He shot Andie a look. "Don't you dare push me."

Her face purposely dropped into a guileless blank. "I don't know what you mean. Jeez, there's no trust."

"Because I know you," he countered.

"I'm going to go around, just so you can see, okay?" Emma said.

Graham waved her off, eyes mostly directed on his own feet. Emma tried not to smile as she started a lap around.

There was something freeing in the long arc, the frost biting into her cheeks as she glided. She took a deep breath in, enjoying the cold sunshine. When she and Henry went it was similar, but there was something to be said about the lone circuit. The air smelled clean and fresh, faint wisps of coffee and peppermint and chocolate from the skaters she was passing. It was actually starting to feel like Christmastime now.

Emma cocked her head to the side as she made her way back. Graham was still at the same place, and he looked more like he was slipping along rather than consciously skating. She couldn't help the shake of her head as she started forward.

She was just about ready to help his posture when Andie snuck up. The petite woman jabbed him in the side with her index finger and skated away just as quickly in a peal of laughter. Graham overcorrected with a sharp curse, and the sudden shock made him topple. Unfortunately, the closest thing to him was her, and she squeaked as he pulled her down with him.

She didn't hear a thud as they both fell, luckily, as her nose collided with his chest. Her insides tingled, and she buried her face in his sweater as she collected herself. With a wince, she finally looked up at his face. There was something odd in his expression, a sudden catch behind his features. He brought a hand beneath his head, where it hovered above the ice. He swallowed visibly, and then grabbed her hand as her face twisted in confusion.

"I think you cushioned us," he said softly, just above a whisper.

She hesitated, just then feeling the slightest crackle in the atmosphere, like the air just before a storm. "I—" she cut herself off, blinking hard. Her magic.

"Okay, that was my bad."

Emma looked up to Andie's not-so-sorry face. She was sure she looked pale; her body felt colder and drained at the realization. Her fingers bunched into Graham's sweater, and carefully she set about untangling their legs.

"How could I resist? He practically dared me!" she continued, then continued for a few beats in Vietnamese. She held out her hand and helped swing Emma up.

Emma swayed slightly, a slight nausea clinging to her. It didn't happen often, her powers; she tried to keep them at bay as much as possible. Especially around Graham. It was disconcerting that she hadn't even thought about using them, that they just appeared.

Graham was getting himself up slowly. Emma started to reach for him but then pulled her hand back just as quick. Andie was still grinning as she yanked him up.

Graham gave Emma a short look, but only brushed the icicles off his pants. He swung his legs in a concerted effort to swing to her side, and clumsily made his way over. He rested a reassuring palm to her lower back before facing his friend. "This means, of course, that you're buying lunch."

Andie smirked. "Too cold, anyway. Race you there." She pushed off, gliding toward the exit.

"I'm okay," he murmured into her ear. Emma nodded jerkily, trying to believe it. "Hey. You kept us safe. You did good."

Emma turned her face away. "I didn't even mean to," she admitted.

Graham tilted her face up with his fingers at her chin. He still had that something behind his gaze, but mostly his look was determined as he pressed his lips together. "It's not because of you," he reminded, and squeezed her hand with his free one. "It's her that screwed me up for it, not anything you do or have. And what you have … it's good, Emma. You're good."

She couldn't shy away from his eyes like this, and her breath was hitched as she took that in. "I know you don't really blame me," she said, even if most of the time she forgets. "But I don't like not having control of it."

He nodded. "I know," he said simply. He kissed her, slow and steady, reassuring. "You didn't use it on me, Em. Just near me."

She nodded with a sigh and tried to comfort herself with that, at least.

"Besides," he said, and his voice was lighter. "Now I have back-up when we do this with the kid."

"You'll need it," she said, struggling to match the teasing note in his voice. She leaned forward to peck his lips and then started them towards the exit. "You're kinda hopeless out here."

They got back to the benches and Graham sat heavily. He grabbed her around her waist and pulled her down on his lap, nuzzling into her hairline. "Maybe I'll just hang onto the edge and watch you two," he suggested.

She warmed as she felt him relax into her, and she let the tension release from her body. "C'mon. Let's make Andie get us some soup and hot chocolate."

"After that? I'm thinking a five-course meal," Graham joked, then leaned over to unlace her skates.

"Hey," she said, and he looked up at her. She chewed on her bottom lip. "Are you sure—"

"Yeah, Em," he said clearly. "I love you."

She held his gaze a long moment, and he kept his own steady as he let her check for the truth. She leaned in again and kissed him harder, and he returned it fervently.

"Gross, guys. C'mon, I want pizza at that place on 106th."

Emma narrowed her eyes at the interruption. Playfully, she nodded and turned to Graham. "Yeah, I think that place has some nice, dark corners to sneak off to when we leave her with the check."

"Or maybe somewhere outdoors," she replied dryly.

"Nah," Graham said, eyes twinkling. "Now I want pizza, too."

Heavy moment gone, but still very aware of how suddenly her magic came through, Emma threaded her fingers with his and led him to return the skates so they could go eat.

She'd figure out what went wrong later.