It's one of those days again.

She had woken up, taken her shower, got dressed and ready for more paperwork at the lab after a decent breakfast and she can't quite help but think of him… the boy with the golden eyes.

But no, what they had had ended and there was no need to resuscitate it, no need to bring back old memories because even through the fond ones were enough to keep her happy they just couldn't do, she couldn't settle because once they sifted through all of the reasons why she broke up with him in the first place would be all that remained and she would be reduced to hungry tears and a difficulty in breathing properly again.

Everything is set now and all she has left to do is clean up the kitchen and after that she's happily on her way to be the best assistant she could be… only to learn that Professor Oak wasn't to be in the building for a good remainder of the day and she was to be alone working with her back turned to the door and… and that made her nervous.

It's… not quite one of those days, after all.

Her back is turned and she's working so arduously, as she was prone to do… so much in fact that when the door finally opened, revealing the boy with the golden eyes, the girl in the lab coat ignored it and continued tinkering with pen on paper and hoped that he would just go away. Today wasn't the day that she was ready to admit that he existed after all and that she hated the space that he used to fill so well.

"I fuckin' hate you."

She was expecting this but what she wasn't expecting was to hear him say it again, twice, thrice… and a fourth time with the sound of his footsteps getting closer to where she was sitting and his voice cracking under the strain of trying to hold himself back… but from what?

"I hate you so much so why… why can't I just accept that you would rather be with him?"

Her heart is slowly being torn from aorta to every arterial artery, and she swallowed painfully when his hands are suddenly on her shoulders with his fingers digging into her, slightly grown nails biting into her flesh… and yet she can't say anything, can't shout out in pain, can't cry out… nothing.

She finally tries to speak now, but she's quickly cut off by the sudden feeling of being wrenched up, turned around, and forced to sit on the desk. Looking into his eyes, she can tell that he's nervous and it's with that nervousness that she finally realizes that things aren't going to go as planned, that she wasn't going to get her fairy-tale ending and that he never quite truly understood what she meant when she had said she just didn't know what she wanted….

His lips were suddenly on hers, and the feeling in the air was hot and heavy and… and he was pushing himself onto her and she could feel her back arching in response to the way one of his hands danced across skin that he somehow discovered through her clothing while his other shuddered with the weight of not only holding himself up but from the concentration he needed to keep from bolting right then and there.

And the boy with the golden eyes pulled away and gave her one of those cocky smirks of his and her blood began to boil. How was this fair? How was any of this fair? She's about to finally speak her mind but she's cut off again and this time she finds that she's losing herself to his whispers of how much he can't stand all that she's done to him, all that she's caused him to do and say all for the sake of nothing and finally he's murmuring into her ear and the words come from between his teeth as they nip everywhere they can latch onto, murmuring about how they had it all and it was suddenly all gone because she had thrown it all away.

"and yet even though I hate you, Crys, I can't help but lovin' you because you're just so fuckin' special Crys, and even though I know it will hurt I have to, do this Crys – I can't let you keep control over me this way!"

The computer is forcefully shoved to the ground and it breaks on impact and the lab assistant can't help but shudder as that gaze of his holds her in complete rapture. She's forced on her back and he's on top of her now and she can't quite understand what's happening until she hears the sound of his zipper and then finally the absence of cloth on places that are quite important and she can't help but feel so confused as to what was going on.

It starts, a choked gasp thrusting its way out of her throat as the first impact goes in followed by a close second. He's constantly whispering apologies and she's frozen in place not because she's scared but because she's at such a loss that she doesn't quite understand what the hell is going on and why he's doing this to her. He had never been this aggressive before during their meetings and things had never progressed this far and…

He stops, unable to will himself further and that's when Crystal surprises herself.

"Show me… how much you truly hate me, Gold. Show me how much you hate me for breaking your heart."

He looks at her with shock now and then he understands why she's letting him do this to her after getting over her shock. They both needed this. They both needed to know. The boy with the golden eyes sifts through a variety of memories, picking out those that really caused his blood to broil and the intensity is back with the anger and this time there isn't any holding back – it's hard, rough… almost like two caged animals forced to mate for some sick science experiment with the threat of death the only alternative.

His body bucks into hers and she can't quite help but to hold onto his hips to help him relieve himself of all the demons that he was keeping confined in his body, and his muffled groans of her name allow her to realize how much she missed the sound of his voice and the feel of his body in hers and then…

And then it's finally over with a final thrust and he collapsing atop of her and they're sweating and panting and they glance into each other's eyes and Gold can't help but smile.

"I hate you so fuckin' much, Crystal… and yet I can't help but love you even more."

And she looks into those windows of his soul and she, too, smiles before kissing him softly.

"Perhaps… we really were meant for each other… after all?"