I do not own OUAT.
5. Somewhere Only We Know
It's been eight weeks. Mary-Margaret thinks to herself as she walks up the path to the house belonging to David and Ruth Nolan; a wine bottle and lilies in hand. Eight weeks of calls, dates, texts and impromptu visits to workplaces with bribes of food and lingering kisses. The honeymoon period but, now it was over. She was about to sit down and have dinner with her boyfriend and his mother.
"Here we go." Mary-Margaret breathed before pressing the doorbell. (Ruth had called her last night to invite her over for dinner. They had talked for at least an hour and the young woman still came away with the feeling that her boyfriend was unaware of his mother's invitation.)
"He'll be happy to see you." Ruth said cheerfully. "He's always so happy to see your beautiful face."
"Aw. Mrs Nolan. You're so sweet but, does David actually know I'm coming over?"
"I'm making Chicken Casserole. See you at seven?"
"I'll be there."
"Perfect! Bye."
"Bye."
…
Of course, David had introduced her to his lovely mother relatively early in their relationship but, that was at both her and Ruth's insistence. This was different though, he almost certainly did not know anything about this. (If she didn't love the idea of surprising him so much combined with the fact that her Emerald lace dress and black heels made her feel like a million dollars; she would have felt sorry for the guy.)
She rings again.
"Sweetheart can you get that?" She hears Ruth shout to David as she waits.
"Mom who's that other place for? I thought it was just…" He opens the door as he speaks not realising until, he does. "Us…"
"Hello."
"Holy… Wow!"
"Can I come in?" She teases.
He virtually drags her through the door as she giggles.
"Careful your mother's gifts." Mary-Margaret warns through laughter as he lets the door slam from behind.
"Will be fine." He holds her close as the gifts squash between them slightly. "Mmm… This is the last minute dinner a "friend" invited you to?"
She nods like an innocent child and then smirks through the kiss that inevitably comes a moment later.
It's short, sweet and hot. Their first of a few days because of work and one thing or another but, the look she gives his as they break promises that it won't be last one they share tonight.
"Mom…" He calls smiling with his girlfriend.
She comes through to the hallway in a flash pleasantly dressed with an apron over her shirt.
"Hi, Mary-Margaret." The warm hearted woman beams planting a kiss on her cheek.
"Hi, Mrs Nolan." She returns.
"Oh dear please enough with the formalities. It's Ruth!"
"Oh are those for me?" "Dear, you are so thoughtful!"
"It's just a thank you really."
"I'll put those in water and maybe we could open this later?" She says processing as she takes the gifts and turns "Dinner will be ready in ten. Hope you're hungry."
"Starving,"
"Good. David can you show our guest to the dinner table please?"
"Miss." He takes her arm delicately and does as his mother commands pulling a seat out for her as she sits and adjusts herself then doing the same for himself right beside her.
"How many?" Mary-Margaret sneakily states.
"How many what?"
"How many ways have thought of to get me out of this dress since I arrived here?"
She feels the heat of his mouth against the shell of her ear as he glides over and whispers: "Five and counting."
….
As promised dinner and drinks were on the table within minutes and Mary-Margaret was extremely grateful for it.
"Oh Ruth, this is delicious." She states having finished a mouthful while gently coaxing another one onto the spoon broth and all. This was the perfect antidote after a seemingly endless Wednesday.
"It's an old family recipe." "I am so glad you like it." The woman says from across the table admiring the fact that her son has not once taken his eyes of the young woman as he holds her free hand in an adorable display of affection that she never tires of seeing.
"How was your day?" Her son asks inquisitively
"How was yours?" She counters.
"Good. Better now but, it was yours I was asking about." He says bemused.
"David, I don't want to bore your mother." She says in a hushed tone.
"Nonsense." Ruth interrupts. "You can tell me anything."
"See!" David nudges.
Mary-Margaret rolls her eyes then turns to Ruth. "Hectic. A young boy in my class got bubble gum stuck on one of the classroom windows and I spent my recess cleaning and scraping it off. Then Allison Masters the Principal told me Jack Andrews a local fireman had to pull out of next week's Show and Tell."
"That's awful." Ruth exclaimed quickly finishing the last dregs of food and letting her spoon clash down against the semi-clear bowl.
"I know I don't know what I'm going to tell the kids if I can't find anyone by next Friday." Mary-Margaret sighs finishing as well.
David gives his mother a knowing stare.
"I don't think that will be a problem anymore dear."
"What?" David laughs and makes his girlfriend turn as Ruth clears the bowls away.
"You. You want to talk in front of my class?"
"I should be able to clear it with my manager and since you were probably going to be visiting again anyway…. I don't see the harm in bringing along a few puppies for them to play with. None of your students are allergic to dogs are they?"
"OH MY GOD I COULD! MA!" She jumps up out of her seat and kisses him hard forcing him out of his so that he can grip her properly and deepen it.
"Honey you're fantastic." She gasps out rubbing their noses together.
"I know." He smirks.
"I'm serious! I…" She starts but, cuts herself and opts to kiss him on the for-head and move away from him in the direction of the kitchen. "I... should help Ruth with the dishes."
"What were you going to say?" David asks following her every step of the way.
"Ruth. Do you need a hand with the dishes?" Mary-Margaret asks flushed.
"I think I can manage sweetheart thank you."
"Are you sure?"
"She's sure." David speaks for his mother as Ruth puts two and two together.
"What were you going to say?"
"Thank you so much for dinner Ruth it was wonderful but, I think I better be going now."
"Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yes I'm fine thank you." Mary-Margaret gives the kindly woman a hug but, cannot look at David. She cannot look into the eyes of the man she so very clearly loves before fleeing.
"Mary-Margaret." David frustratingly sighs until Ruth cups his face.
"Go."
David kisses his mother's cheek "Why did she leave?"
"You know."
She watches in awe as her son runs after the woman he loves and hopes he isn't too late. For both their sakes as well as her own sanity.
"Oh to be young again."
….
"Mary-Margaret."
"Mary-Margaret. Wait please!" David had followed her all the way to her apartment his legs were killing him but, she was worth it. If only she hadn't bolted the door on him.
"Go away David." She shouted.
"No."
"Go away please."
"No."
"Go away." She sobbed.
"I'm not going anywhere."
She unlocked the door in a blurry haze "And why is that?"
"Because I love you. I love you Mary-Margaret." He says breathless at the sight of her.
"You wh… Come in." She says automatically.
….
"I love you." He says more confidently now the door is locked behind them.
"I love you. I love you. I love you." He says tenderly wiping away her tears
"Aha your mother must think I'm insane." She sobs into his chest.
"No, she loves you too." He laughs gently raising her beautiful face to his.
"I'm so in love with you David. That's why I ran because everyone I get close to hurts me or dies. My parents, Victor Whale…. Well, Whale doesn't really count. The point is I was scared. But, I'm not scared anymore."
She pulls him into a soft and lingering kiss. "My future. OUR future. I'm ready for anything."
….
He wakes up half naked on the sofa with Mary-Margaret soundly asleep in his arms.
"Phew." He felt in his pocket. It's still there. The ring he wants so badly to see her wear.
She's not ready now but, she will be one day. One day in the future they'll share together.
I love all your reviews! This title's from my favourite Keane song "Somewhere Only We Know." xxxxxxxxxxxx (Added a bit to clear up Guest's tiny bit of confusion over Whale you were right.) I flipping adore your reviews as stated earlier as such I will commence work on the next chapter tomorrow.