The prompt I've chosen is almost completely unrelated to the events of this chapter, aside from the main setting. I mainly wrote this story because I wanted to get this idea down on paper (or computer screen) before I forgot completely, so it's not very good sorry. Thanks for reading, though.
River
Sabrina was lying in bed, her breath kept purposely shallow and even, when a clock beeped shrilly and she rolled over. 23:00, it read. Now, she thought. Getting out of bed, she strapped on her watch, zipped a jacket on and crept out off the room, carefully avoiding the creaky floorboard. She sneaked quietly down the stairs, and had just turned the doorknob to the front door when a light flew past her face. Pixie, she thought, and mentally groaned, which means-
"What are you doing?" a voice demanded
Puck. She turned. "I'm going out, what does it look like?"
"Now?" He asked, almost incredulously
"Yes now."
"No."
"No?"
"Yes, no. You're not going out." His voice was flat, brooking no argument.
"Yes, I am." She replied coolly, although her eyes began to gleam dangerously.
"No, you're not."
"And why not?"
"You know why." He bit off the end of his words, and his face started to turn red, tension betrayed in every line of his body.
"I seem to have forgotten. Enlighten me."
"Because of this!" he shouted, losing all control, and slammed a letter down on the coffee table. On it, made out of cut-out newspaper letters, was a message. TO THE GRIMMS, it read, WE ARE COMING FOR YOU. "Because of this damn threat!"
"A threat! You're scared of a threat?!" she countered, yelling as well.
"Yes I am!"
"It doesn't even concern you!"
"It concerns you! That's close enough!"
"You're my boyfriend, not my dad!"
"I'm your protector!"
"You don't need to protect me! I'm not a little girl, I'm Everafter!"
"You have no powers! I do!"
"That doesn't change anything!"
"It changes everything!"
"I'm going out, whether you like it or not!"
"Well then, I'm going with you!"
"No you're not!"
"Yes I am!"
"You're staying here!"
"Make me!" He crowed triumphantly, knowing full well she couldn't. She may have a killer right hook, but he had wings and magic, and he was stronger than she was. There was no way she could force him to stay there, and they both knew it. She sighed, knowing she had lost.
"Fine." She grumbled "Lock the door on your way out."
"Nu uh," he shook his head "you'll just run away. You lock it." He stepped out into the cold air. Muttering at her foiled plan, she grabbed the key from the bowl beside her and walked outside, locking the door behind.
"Right," Puck said, rubbing his hands "Where to?"
"The Hudson River." She said flatly. "But I want to walk."
"No way. Who knows what could ambush you then?" and before she could protest he swept her up in his arms and flew off.
...
"Why do you like it here so much?' Puck said, looking down. They had taken their shoes and socks off and their feet were dangling in the water, slightly but pleasantly cold. "It's just grass and water."
She didn't reply, merely stared out into the distance with a stony silence.
"So now you're not talking to me?"
No response.
He chuckled, and picked at a dead leaf beside him. "I bet you think I'm being unreasonable, not letting you go out alone."
She turned to him, rolling her eyes as if to say you think?
"Well," Puck continued, unfazed by her unfriendly expression "I have a reason for it you know."
"Oh really?" she said with mock interest, "Pray tell, what is it?"
"Ah, at last she speaks" he smiles, but quickly looked down when she glared at him. "I'm worried for you," he continued quietly "I don't want you to get hurt."
She sighs. "I know."
"If you know, why do you get so angry?"
"Because frankly, it's insulting."
He frowns. "Insulting?"
"It's like you don't even trust me enough to take care of myself."
"I do trust you," he insisted "it's the people sending you threats who I don't trust."
She laughed quietly, and Puck grinned. "I took care of Daphne for 12 years," she started "I think I'll be ok with just myself."
"Great job taking care of her. It's not like I had to swoop in and save the day or anything."
"Way to ruin the moment." She deadpanned, but she couldn't stop herself smiling.
"It's what I love."
"Only that?"
"Well... maybe one or two other things..." he said uncertainly
"Like what?"
"Like the beautiful girl sitting next to me." His lips twitched upwards, and she blushed.
"Smooth." She complimented.
"Thanks." They lapsed off into comfortable silence, all the tension from the previous moment fading away, and he shuffled closer to her.
"I'm just afraid something's going to happen to you, and I won't be there to stop it." He said seriously.
"I know."
"I mean, what if that guy's got magic powers? What if he can breathe fire, or control minds or something? Then what?"
"Then you'll come in and save me I guess." She said gently
"But what if I can't? What if I'm not there to save you?" He was practically beside her now, and his voice started to raise in pitch as he got more and more worked up. "What if something happens? What if you get hurt, or they take you away, or they break your arm or something? What if they take Marshmallow to get to you, or Red, or your parents? What if... what if... what if you die?" He whispered that last sentence, and he pulled her into a hug.
"Puck," she said sternly but kindly "I'm not going to die."
"I hope not but what if? What if you do?"
"Puck."
"I don't think I'll be able to take it. No, I know I won't be able to take it."
"Puck." she repeated, with more force.
"I'll be living all alone, with no one to be with. The apartment will be so big without you."
"Puck!" she almost shouted, but he continued to ignore her.
"And what about Marshmallow, and Granny, and Jake? They'll go crazy..."
Oh for goodness sake she thought, and pressed her lips to his, effectively cutting him off. His eyes widened and instantly he relaxed, looping his arms around her waist, while her fingers tangled in his hair. Closing his eyes he sighed a little into the kiss, and she pulled away gently, but still kept him close to her.
"Can I talk now?"
He nodded, eyes open but almost glazed over, as if he wasn't fully aware of his surroundings.
"I know you're afraid," she continued "and I know you're worried about me, and it's really sweet and all, but give me some credit Puck. I'm not some flimsy card soldier from Alice in Wonderland-"
"At least they're armed." He mumbled, but quickly looked down when she frowned at him. "Continue." he said.
"Point is, I know how to fight Puck. I may not be able to fly like you can, or command an army of magic pixies, but I'm fast and I'm strong, and I know how to punch and run. Plus, if they turn out to be bigger than normal, I carry a weapon around." She lifted up her shirt slightly to expose a knife tucked into her belt, and looked meaningfully at him, who blushed. "So calm down Puck," she finished "I'm not completely helpless."
"But-"
"No buts. I worry for you too Puck, whenever you fly up to tackle a giant bat or whatever I'm scared that you'll get hurt. But I trust you, enough to know that you'll take care of yourself and not do anything incredibly stupid. Do you trust me?"
"Yes, but-"
She cut him off "Then trust me to take care of myself."
He sighed, and pulled her closer. "Fine."
"Thank you."
He paused. "Do you want to go home now?"
"Sure."
He picked her up and together they left, wet feet dripping water while their shoes dangled from her fingers. Puck held her to his chest, her hands wrapped tightly around his back, and every time he breathed in he could smell her. He loved her, he knew that, and it was this love which built so much fear in him. Fear of her getting hurt, fear of something happening to her, fear that one day he would have let go off her even if he didn't want to.
I wonder if this is what Henry went through he thought as he pecked her nose, and she smiled.
I know, the plot is incredibly cliche, and it's been done a thousand times, but I tried my best with it (even though it's not very good I know). I hope you didn't find reading this that much of a waste of time, but thanks for reading anyway. Please review.