Hey guys,

Sooo, actually I'm supposed to work on the third chapter of my other Snowby Story The Princesses Choice, but then suddenly this idea came to my mind and I couldn't help myself but write it ;D

I hope you enjoy this one shot, let me know if you like these, so I can make more in the future

"B…Bi…" he stuttered. Brows furrowed, his whole concentration was centered on the white sheet of paper in front of him with the single word written on it.

I sound like an idiot; it's just one tiny word. Come one wolf. You have infested entire villages with fear. This should be easy.

"Take your time, you can do it", she muttered. Her gaze fixed on him.

"Bigby!", he finally uttered. "It says Bigby, that's my name!", he sighed loudly and leaned back in his chair. Satisfied with himself but also mentally exhausted.

"There you go, Mister Wolf, you did well", she smiled.

The newly appointed Sheriff of Fabletown, Bigby Wolf, not long ago only known as The Big Bad Wolf, sat along with Snow White next to him in his new Office.

His arrival in the new world wasn't even a month old, but the former Princess, who currently sat beside him, had already given him his first task. Learning to read and write, like all the noblemen did nowadays.

Hell, If someone told me a year ago I'd be sitting here with her trying to read my name from a piece of paper… well I would have probably swallowed him before he even finished that sentence, he grinned.

But these days were now over, she had told him so. His sole purpose now was to protect the citizens of this new town. The Fables he once tried to devour.

And the first step in doing so is learning to read my own name?

'I'm not a man of many words'; he had declined her offer in the beginning. 'I let actions speak rather than written words'. That's how he learned to deal with things, and it had always seemed to work so far.

She had cast him a look back then. Telling him, that things weren't going to be as they were before, and that he had to learn those simple skills.

Whatever her highness wishes, he thought as his eyes glanced towards her.

She sat right next to him, in the second wooden chair. She was busy rearranging his new work sheets, now that he had successfully mastered the first one. She didn't seem to notice him as he scrutinized her.

Her smell, the thing that had drawn him to her the first time, was overwhelming. He sniffed every once in a while trying to take as much of her scent into him as he could.

But not only was her scent drawing him to her. Now that he got to know her more, he was intoxicated by her wisdom. A thing that many women rather tend to hide in the current time.

But not her, she was wise and patient. And kind beyond measure.

He even heard people saying she was considered a great beauty.

Fairest of them all, huh?, he wondered.

He was a wolf not too long ago so naturally he saw all humans, or human looking Fables for that matter, destined for his stomach. Desired only by his hunger, not in any other way.

But now that he saw her every day, he noticed the differences between her and other women in town. Her skin was, of course, much fairer than most of the others. Her features seemed more fine and elegant. Especially her eyes. They were like hooks for the soul.

Not dull and empty like other women, they held a certain distance and coldness, but he could also see great fondness.

"Mister Wolf, is something wrong?", he heard her voice suddenly, snapping out of his trance, he realized he was still staring at her. She gave him a worried look.

"Do you not feel well?"

"No. I mean, yes I feel well. I was just… thinking." He may have not been a man for long, but he knew that staring was considered rude, especially staring at women. Feathertop had told him so.

She blinked. "Okay… I have a new task for you", she smiled. She took another sheet of paper from under the table and laid it out in front of them.

How many of those does she have, he wondered.

"Now I don't want you to read anything. The next step is trying to write the words yourself", she explained, while holding a feather in front of him.

He grabbed the feather from her hands and awkwardly tried to get a good hold of it.

"No, here let me show you", she said before she positioned the feather in his hands. Their fingers touched. Bigby looked at her face again.

"You place your thumb here, and your other finger here… see it's very simple", she encouraged as she made sure to place his fingers on the right spot.

Her hands are so soft, he mused. Another thing he was noticing. While her hands had been smooth whenever he touched them, the hands of others, especially males, were rough and the nails were often chipped.

Must be another human thing.

"Make sure to dip the feather in the little pot of ink before you start writing.", she explained with a soft voice.

"What word shall I write your highness?", he asked politely.

Her brows furrowed: "You do not need to call me highness, I'm not royalty… At least not anymore", she mumbled.

He knew that, but somehow he felt great pleasure at teasing her this way.

"I am sorry… your highness", he grinned.

She raised her brow at that.

"Well Mister Wolf instead of mocking me thus, you could decide which word you chose to write by yourself" Her voice held no amusement.

She seemed serious, so he stopped joking. He started to think of a word to write.

Hmm, I do not wish to write my own name. That would be too simple. I want to impress her. Something difficult…

"It doesn't have to be a complicated one, just something nice to begin with"; she helped him.

Suddenly a flash of inspiration crossed his mind. Something simple, which meant a lot to many people.

"Love", was all he said as he stared at her.

He had heard love before. He had felt love towards his mother. But he was talking about the different kind of love. The love that people died for, and the love that people lived for.

Snow looked surprised.

"Love? That is a big word Mister Wolf", she smiled playfully.

"To me it sounds rather short. And also I'm a big wolf, so I think I can take it", he smirked.

She chuckled. "Fine, go ahead. But tell me, how does a wolf know about love?"

He dropped the feather on the table and leaned back.

"Believe me your highness, love is what rules a wolfs life", he smiled proudly.

She lifted her brows in disbelief.

"Indeed? How so?"

"Well, for once there is the love for the woods. And also the love for the hunt. Not to forget the love for a good meal…" he smiled, showing his sharp teeth.

"A very selfish type of love then", she smiled as she looked down.

"Love is selfish, my lady." To him it was.

She stopped smiling, and looked down on her lap.

Did I say something wrong?, he wondered.

"Tell me about it", the words came out before he could stop them.

She looked up at him again, confused.

"What do you mean?"

"The meaning of love for you" He needed to know.

She didn't answer.

He realized his mistake. He remembered a conversation he had with Feathertop not long ago. He also remembered all the things which were not appropriate.

"I apologize… that was inappropriate…", he mumbled, trying to get rid of the silence between them.

"It's a lie", she said quietly. He even wondered if she said the words at all, or if his imagination was just playing a trick on him. "Love is just a lie, Mister Wolf"

He saw her smiling, but it did not reach her eyes. She looked sad.

"Does it hurt?", he asked quietly.

Her smile widened, still not reaching her eyes.

"Yes. It hurts very much. First in your heart, and then it eats its way up in your brain, and not long after you find yourself being just one big creature of misery… And still you hold onto it. Onto that feeling, because in some sick twisted way… it makes you happy.", she said quietly. He didn't know if she said the words to herself or him.

He didn't know what to say.

"Sounds horrible…" he tried to lighten the mood.

Snow shook her head.

"Well… now that you have decided which word you want to write down, hold the feather as I told you and remember to dip it in the ink…", she explained. The pained expression was gone and replaced with professional politeness.

He looked at her for a moment before taking the feather again.

Yes, Snow, I know what love means.

The feeeeeeeeeeels.

Yeah, I really liked the idea of Snow teaching Bigby how to write and stuff. Hope you enjoyed this one. New Chapter of The Princesses Choice should be out on Saturday, which is in two days. And for anyone who hasn't checked It out yet... well what are you doing with your time then? :P

See ya guys 3