Emma swallowed hard, looking up at the forest passing by them. They were running out of time. Damn it, they were always running out of time. “Are we almost there?” she asked, voice strained, sighing at the dwarves nod. Her hand once again carted through the Huntsman’s hair, waiting for him to reorient himself. “Mhmm. Just rest. We’ll be there soon.”
She looked to his hand and took it without hesitation, giving a sure squeeze. Her heartbeat picked up as the blood erupted from his mouth as he coughed. This wasn’t good. No, this was bad. She swallowed down the urge to shout at Sneezy to make the carriage go faster, because she knew that would do no good. Instead she focused on the Huntsman, on giving him all of the comfort she could.
A tear slid down her face as he persisted with his question, mouth opening but no words coming out. He would hate her. Magic had a bad name in the forest these days, with people like Regina and Rumplestiltskin using it to rip out hearts and control them for their own selfish intent.
“I, um…” She closed her eyes, not even daring to meet his during her confession. “My parents are— were…true love. And I’m the product of true love. So I…I have magic.”
Was that a tear caressing down Emma’s cheek? So badly did the Huntsman wish he were able to reach up and brush it away. But he couldn’t, for it would render too much pain. And that pain had been the cause of her tears. Lids fell over regret-filled orbs, opening just in time to see Emma’s glance become avoidant.
A breathless gasp, accompanied by a wince, for even the false action of breathing elicited pain, escaped from the Huntsman’s chest. Magic. Were he not in this position, the wounded man may have reacted differently — but instead, he just offered a silent, frowning smile. Lids falling over his sapphire hues in a slow blink, the same blink he’d given to the animals of the forest, the same blink to silently say that it would be alright.
He wanted to question more, but words couldn’t be formed. Besides, it was more important for him to focus on his breathing, with what little breath he could intake. Crimson lingering in the back of his throat, just pooling there. Cough or swallow? The Huntsman swallowed, grunting as the action was accompanied by searing pain. However, coughing would have been worse — disrupting his position, bringing more pain to whatever ailments.
Saddened eyes looked up to Emma’s, lips parting to mouth silent words. ‘Good magic,’ he would have added, had the pain not taken over. Had the darkness of unconsciousness not been pulling him back under.