AN: Little song fic. I actually started this two ish years ago when the song first came out. Figured I'd finish it. Same deal as my most recent fic "Hours to Go", might turn into a ficlet, might not. Depends on interest and time. Hope you enjoy and please R/R!

Belle wasn't normally the type to drink away her problems, but after the day she had she was more than willing to make an exception. She flopped down on the first barstool she saw and rubbed her face.

An oddly impish giggle came from the barstool beside her. "You look like I feel, dearie."

Belle glanced over and took in the profile of the man beside her. His nose was rather hawkish, but his mouth curled up at the corner in what could have been a friendly smirk if it weren't for the tightness at the corner of his eyes. His hair was cut above his ears, but it was a little fluffy at the top. Three piece suit, probably a silk tie, yeah, he looked like money. "Did you break up with your significant other for having someone on the side?"

The man glanced over. His dark brown eyes were alight with mischief and a deep understanding. He held up a hand and displayed two fingers. "Twice. Took her back both times, and now she's serving me papers and wants full custody of our son."

Belle winced. "You win."

Another giggle and he downed his glass of whiskey before signaling for a refill. "Are you even old enough to be in here?"

"I turned thirty last month," Belle said and put her chin on her palm. "Why? Are you the bouncer?"

Thirty? Hm. Now thing were getting a little interesting. "Why aren't you married?" He nodded his thanks to the bartender.

"I'll have what he's having," Belle said, motioning to the man beside her.

"Put it on my tab, Jack."

Jack nodded. "Sure thing, Mr. Gold."

Belle giggled. "Mr. Gold?"

Gold pulled out his wallet and revealed his driver's license. "Legal and everything."

She caught that his first name was Robert and looked into those brown eyes. "How many drinks do you have on me?"

Gold snickered and shook his finger at her. "Nah ah, I asked you a question first," he said.

"What?"

"Why aren't you married?" He asked, saying every word slowly for effect.

Belle rolled her eyes and downed her whiskey. "Because I have shitty taste in men."

"I'll drink to that," Gold said and sipped at his drink. He signaled for the bartender to bring Belle another drink. "After you finish that one, I'll be three up on you."

"So what they say about the Scotts and the Irish are true," Belle commented as she went ahead and downed her second glass. The alcohol was already kind of going to her head and loosening her tongue.

"We like to fight and pick up pretty women?" Gold chuckled.

Belle signaled for another one. "You can drink like fishes."

It didn't take long for them to be even at six drinks, but then again Gold slowed down significantly so the woman beside him, Belle he came to learn, could catch up. They talked about inconsequential things: books, movies, once they even talked about the weather. Anything to avoid talking about past loves and how they failed.

"You know? I dun even know why I'm upshet," Belle slurred as she slumped against Gold's shoulder. "He wash a horrible lover. Thoo mean." She turned and put her chin on Gold's shoulder. "Can I tell you a secret?" she asked.

Gold smirked at her. "I'm very good at keeping them."

"Never gave me an orgasm. Not once." Belle frowned and scrunched up her nose before putting her head back on his shoulder. "Not once."

Her frank confession startled a laugh out of Robert and he shook his head. "A true injustice to be sure." He looked to the bartender. "I think the lady will be fine with water now," he said.

Jack nodded and pulled out a bottle of water and slid it over to Belle.

"Aw," Belle mumbled. "You're so nice."

"Careful, dearie, I have a reputation to maintain," Gold said. He switched to club soda himself and looked down at the languid brunette resting against him. Maybe it was the alcohol, or maybe it was the fact that she didn't hesitate to talk to him that had him feeling a little fond of his unexpected drinking companion.

Belle sipped at the water for a few moments and then gasped. Her face lit up and she took out her cellphone, turned it to the camera, and made sure it was in selfie mode. "Take a picture with me," she said. "Please, Bobby, please?"

Gold arched an eyebrow at the unexpected endearment. He hadn't been called Bobby in…he didn't even remember when. "Are you some sort of magic, Miss Belle?" he asked.

Belle looked over at him and cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

"Bobby?"

"Oh that, I read very fast. Saw it on your driver's license. Now will you please take a picture with me?" Belle asked, using what her best friend lovingly referred to as her Disney princess gaze.

Robert's eyes went a little wide and he felt his will weakening, but he stayed in control long enough to ask one question. "Why?"

Belle poked her bottom lip out and set her phone down for the moment. "Because. I want to make my ex green with envy." Her voice was just as prim and proper as it could be given the circumstances.

"And you think I'm the best choice for that? There are a hundred other young bucks in this place who would be happy to take that picture with you," Gold pointed out.

"Yes, but they're all boring. I can already tell. So whadaya say, Bobby? Take a picture with me. Send it to your ex too. Tell her you're not going home alone tonight. That's what I'm telling mine." Belle put her elbow on the bar and leaned her face against her palm.

Gold glanced around at all of the younger men in the bar and then looked back at Belle. She hadn't given any of them the time of day all night, and yet here she was talking to him and asking him to take a payback picture with her so she could send it to some obvious idiot who didn't understand a good thing when he had it. And she was giving him the opportunity to shove the fact that a gorgeous woman was interested in him right in his ex-wife's face.

Yup. It was the alcohol.

"I'll take the picture on one condition," Gold said. "Let me take you to dinner. A real dinner at a better than this place."

Belle grinned. "Deal!" she said with little hesitation. The water helped get her senses back a little, but right now she was feeling bold. Brave. And he had something behind his eyes that was just so interesting. Like a mystery waiting to be solved. She always did love a good mystery.

So she picked her phone back up, turned in her barstool and leaned back against Gold. Robert decided to put his hands at her waist to steady the both of them and put his chin on her shoulder. He figured his smug "got ya" stare that he always used in board meetings would do the trick for this particular endeavor. Belle took a bit longer to get the angle she wanted, but when she did, he had to admit that it was a brilliant picture. She looked vibrant, happy, a pure ray of light.

When she pulled away she looked at the picture and giggled. "It's perfect, Bobby!" Belle put it in a text message to her ex-boyfriend. The caption read: I'm sorry. What was that about me not being interesting? She sent it before she could talk herself out of it and shuddered. "I have never done anything like that before, and it was amazing. Ruby would be so proud." She put the picture in another text and handed her phone to Robert. "So you can send it to yourself," she explained.

"I think you just want my number," Gold said as he put his cell number into the "recipient" bar.

Belle smiled. "Well how else are you going to be able to call me about dinner if you don't have my number? This way we both win."

Gold chuckled. "Fair point." He sent the text to himself and then sent it to Milah with the caption: Wrong again. He sent it and looked back at Belle. "It's getting late, dearie," he said, "and I do have to work tomorrow."

"Yeah, so do I," Belle sighed. "It was fun though. And I do expect a call." She gathered her purse and slid carefully off the barstool. "Woah," she said as she caught her bearings. "Been awhile since I've felt this out of it."

"Perhaps we should share a cab then. That way we're not liars," Gold said as he maneuvered off his barstool too. Despite the surgery on his ankle, it still pained him at times, but thankfully he didn't need that damned cane anymore. Well, she wouldn't be a liar anyway. But he never said anything about not going home alone. He paid for both of their drinks while she decided if she wanted to take him up on his offer.

Belle nodded, but it was more because she didn't really feel comfortable being by herself right now. She was suddenly super exhausted. The whiskey combined with the emotional rollercoaster finally took its toll on her. Plus Robert had been nothing but a gentleman all night. No reason to not trust him in her opinion. So she let the older Scotsman put his hand at her waist and lead her out of the bar and leaned against him as he hailed a cab. The ride was a quiet haze, and she knew he led her to her door but after that she had no idea what happened. All she knew was that she woke up the next morning to a blaring alarm clock, two aspirin, and a bottle of water on her bedside table.

It took her several minutes to realize she was still in her clothes from the night before and that there was a note under the bottle of water. Belle picked it up and squinted at the rather elegant handwriting.

Took the liberty of getting you some aspirin. My mornings start rather early or I would have stayed to make sure you were alright. Please text me some time during the day or I'll worry. It was a lovely night, Miss Belle. Far better than I've had in a long time. ~ RG

Belle smiled softly despite her headache and thought fondly of her Scottish drinking buddy while she got ready for her day.