( open ) i'm guessing that i've grown horns

[bigbaddy]

Who: Bigby and you!
What: If there are animal tracks anywhere in the area, you know the big dog's got to chase them down.
When: During April.
Where: First prompt outside the populated areas towards the rockier areas in the wild, second prompt back in Milton.

Content Warnings: Nothing in the log itself, if anything comes up in a thread there will be a warning in the header!

( 1. outside town )

[ Maybe you decided to go along with Bigby out on a little trip - or maybe he invited you along, if he knows you. Maybe you even came out here by yourself, and Bigby ran into you.

Either way, you're standing here now together, out in the rockier area between the mining camp and the ravine - staring down at some tracks in the snow. Even if the fog constantly hanging around is making visibility more of a problem, at least it's still very much possible to just look down and stare at the rather feline tracks in the snow. ]

See? [ Bigby points out to you. ] This is what I was talking about. I haven't seen this here before, but.. judging by the looks of it, that's got to be one big cat.

[ More than just a cat, really. That's why the man's eyebrows are drawn together into a concerned frown as he stares at the tracks, but then looks back up and over at you. ]

It's usually not been a good thing when new tracks appear around here.

( 2. in milton )

[ Running around in the wilds seems to have done very little for actually managing to find whatever animal is out there.. and instead seems to have done a whole lot more to Bigby himself.

After all, with the weather being the way it is, it feels incredibly exhausting to be out there. Let alone going out day after day, since he's so determined to find that thing. And between that and everything that's been happening the past few months, and the stress of the situation and the worries about the Darkwalker..

.. well, Bigby isn't doing so great.

It might become obvious when you see him coming back into Milton after another day of futile tracking. It's like he has to drag his feet to keep on moving as he's walking across town to head back to his place, lines of exhaustion visible in his face. But apparently he's not exhausted enough to no notice someone staring at him, since he'll lift his head to look over at you after a few moments, noticing you there. ]

.. Is something up?

[ For once he doesn't even sound gruff as he's saying it.

Bigby just sounds tired. ]

( ooc: replying with either brackets or prose is fine! i will match! c: )

Comments

[bigbaddy]

[ He does catch up with her. Slower than the usual, but it also seems like he is actually making an effort to not completely drag his legs here. Even though it's tempting. Not even because of the sulking, but because he really does feel tired enough that his body kind of is protesting this entire walking idea right now.

Good thing that Bigby is used to pushing himself on stuff like this all the time.

His face definitely still looks like he's sulking though, even as he's walking next to her now.

Silently, at first. ]

Yeah? [ ... ] Is there a particular reason it might be good?

[ Would it be too much to hope to get something from Snow? Not even a kiss or anything, he's not that delusional, but.. he really would settle for just being able to hold her hand or something. Or her pampering him a little.. Now that would be worth resting for. ]

[powersuited]

[ He's not making a strong effort to follow her with any kind of haste, but that's to be expected — in part because Bigby tends to do what he wants at his own pace, and also because she knows how exhausted he really must be if he's dragging his feet despite her urging.

When his question comes, however, it's her turn for one of her boots to skid along the path, although she manages to recover herself quickly so that she doesn't slip or lose her footing completely. ]

You mean, aside from the fact that you'll feel a whole lot better after you've been able to get some shuteye?

[ A different thought occurs to her, though, and her eyes widen slightly, her features shifting into something more teasing while she fights to repress a bigger smile. ]

Wait, you're not asking for me to bribe you into sleeping, are you? [ She can't even pretend to be surprised by this, not from Bigby of all people, and her smile widens as she leans in closer to him, lips parting. ] Like some kind of reward?

[bigbaddy]

[ ...

God, she's so hot.

Bigby knows it isn't the point right now. Honestly, he isn't even sure if it isn't just because his brain is so tired, but it's the first thought that comes to mind, and he's having a hard time getting rid of it now it's there. Especially when she's acting like this. When she's got that smile on her face, when she's clearly teasing him, when she's saying this-- How is he not supposed to think about it?

It's truly a miracle that he manages to not instinctively let the words flow out of his mouth, but god, is he ever feeling it in this moment. So much so that he's rendered speechless for a moment, before managing to force out: ]

.. is it working?

[ SWEATING NERVOUSLY.. ]

[powersuited]

That depends.

[ Somewhere along the way, her concern for him has evolved into teasing — in part because she suspects he might be too worn down to offer much of a counterargument, and in part because his defenses are lowered around her when he's tired enough to let his guard down too.

But it hasn't really occurred to her what would happen if he started to call her bluff, and one eyebrow quirks slowly as she straightens, coming to a stop so that they're directly facing one another on the path.

It's one of the first times she's looked at him straight-on, as of late, and her gaze is shining with mirth even as her mouth twitches in her effort to hide a bigger smile. ]

Tell you what. You let that stubborn head of yours hit the pillow for more than three hours, and you can pick any reward you want.

[bigbaddy]

[ Any reward.

Any reward. Any reward. Sure, Bigby knows there's a lot he'd like to ask for that he can't ask for, mostly because he's got far too much respect for her, but.. god, does the idea of that ever get him excited, despite the low levels of energy he's currently working with. Bigby doubts that Snow herself even realises how much power those words hold over him. He's pretty sure she could convince him to do absolutely anything at all as long as she'd promise him that much.

It makes far too many thoughts come to mind as they're standing there. Bigby quickly tries to dismiss the ones he knows he can't ask for anyway, which leaves him with-- ]

Well, if it's any reward.. [ His voice momentarily trails off. ] Then, uh.. How about you sit by the bed until I fall asleep?

[ God, it probably sounds like a weird thing to ask for, right. But it's the only thing he can think of that doesn't make his big fat crush on her totally obvious. At least he has ways he could play this one down if she'd ask him why he's requesting that of all things. ]

[powersuited]

[ Only after the offer leaves her lips does Snow realize it could be taken in any number of ways, and she's just given Bigby a means of steering this conversation in any direction he wants to. Of course, the idea of rewarding him with something more than what they'd be prepared for hasn't crossed her mind — has rarely crossed her mind, except for in the moments when she's standing close enough to him to feel the warmth of him beneath her hand, his breath on her cheek, and even then wonder what the rasp of his beard would feel like if their faces were closer still.

She blinks, once, at his answer, only because she's lost in her own reverie long enough that she has to think back on what he's just suggested and put the words into the proper order for her mind to comprehend them, but then she nods, hurriedly, a few times. ]

Oh, sure. I can do that.

[ Now that she's thinking about it — about this, and nothing else — she realizes it's actually a better idea. She can make sure he's getting a few hours of shuteye under her watch, and if he wants to have her there until he feels relaxed enough to sleep, then they'll both get something out of it. ]

But I'm not going to leave right after you fall asleep. I'm staying until later tonight, at least. Deal?

[bigbaddy]

...

[ Well. She's not even just giving him what he asked for, but even more than that. In fact, she's presenting it like something he'd grudgingly agree with, rather than something he desperately wants. Something that he regularly just doesn't ask for, because Snow isn't his woman. She doesn't owe him anything. She never will be. But not only is she granting him his request, she's even insisting on staying. No matter how rough of a guy Bigby can be, it feels like his heart makes little leaps at the sheer idea of her sitting by his side while he sleeps, of her caring.

The terrible thing is that Bigby knows he definitely can't show how eager he is for that. It'd give too much away.

So he momentarily ducks his head, as if to try and hide any slight shifts in his facial expression from her, and then he slowly exhales. ]

Well.. I know better than to think I can change your mind at this point, Snow.

[ She's stubborn. And, yes, sometimes that might be annoying when he'd like to just get things done his way. But Bigby would be lying if he didn't also like the way she's so determined and headstrong at the same time.

It - along with what she's granting him here - is the reason there's a small, tired smile on his face when he looks back up and over at her, apparently unable to fully hide it from her of all people after all. ]

So that sounds like a deal to me.