So I spent the weekend getting drunk on Once Upon A Time fics. So drunk in fact, that I convinced myself I'd write one of my own. I'm not drunk enough on fanfictiony-goodness to promise that I'll finish it, mind you, but hey. It's a start.
Disclaimer: I don't own the show Once Upon A Time. I don't even technically own the DVD - my mom bought it for me a while back, so it's hers if you look at it that way.
But now, without further annoying author's notes, welcome to my story!
"Lusting after love, are you there, sweetheart?"
Belle's eyes wandered from the little glass dome on the counter to the man's lilting voice beside her. She blinked - was he really standing that close to her? She'd heard he didn't stand that close to anyone.
"I suppose so." But when she blinked again, he was still just as close as he had been a moment ago.
She caught Ruby watching them from the corner of her eye. For a second, it looked like she was smiling as she cleared another table. But then she looked away and Belle wondered if she'd imagined it.
"Well then, what can I get you?" He asked with a grand sweeping motion.
"Pardon?" Her nose scrunched up in confusion. "I didn't think you worked here."
"Oh, I don't." He gave her a smile as soft as the Scottish tones in his voice. "But I wouldn't mind buying such a lovely woman a sweet or two. Pick any one you like."
"I don't know, I don't think I should-" She found Ruby's eyes again. The secret smile was back, and Belle thought it was about as much encouragement as she was going to get.
Oh, to hell with it.
Belle looked back to the man in front of her. "You're sure I can pick any one?"
He nodded. "I'm sure, dearie. Whatever you'd like."
She leaned forward on her stool, unsure. There was a red-velvet cupcake with cream frosting, a fudge brownie that looked a bit too fudge-y (even for her), lemon-sorbet topped with whipped cream, and a slice of strawberry cake.
"I hear the strawberry cake is to die for," He said from somewhere above her ear. The thought occurred to her that she'd heard the same thing, once, but it wasn't about a slice of cake.
"I'll go with that, then."
Ruby sashayed behind the counter to ring up the order. "Will that be all for today?" The secret smile was gone, now. The one she was wearing now seemed totally business.
"I think that'll suit us just fine for now, thank you."
He paid for her just as he'd said, even as Belle tried handing over her own card. She covered her mouth with her hand to hide a laugh when he called her "dearie" again. She was sure he didn't really mean anything by it, but that was why it was so funny. He sat down on the stool at the end of the counter so they were facing each other. Ruby came back with their order in under a minute. She smiled at both of them and set the plate down in front of Belle.
She got a nasty look from Belle when she put two forks on the table, but smiled just as sweetly before she skipped off to the kitchen again. Belle picked up a fork and dug into the cake.
"I don't understand that girl, sometimes." She said before she popped a piece of cake into her mouth. It was just as good as he'd said it would be.
"I don't think any of us do, really. We just go along with her wolfish grins so we won't end up as part of the menu." He said as he picked up a fork of his own.
Belle nearly choked on her food. "What?"
He cracked a small smile. "I was only kidding."
"Good." She gave him a smaller one in return. "I was almost afraid what they'd said about you was true."
"Oh?" He wasn't smiling anymore. "And what do they say?"
"They say you live all by yourself in a castle that could house an army. They say you can turn anything into gold, even thread. And they say you're about as wicked as they come."
He threw his head back in a laugh - the first real laugh she'd ever heard from him. "Oh, dearie. They don't say that, here. Who have you been talking to lately?"
Belle smiled again, pushed the last piece of cake around on the plate. A woman she'd met at the grocery store had advised her not to tell anyone about their little chat - she said she'd told her things no else knew of, things no one else could be trusted with. Her eyes had grow wide and sad when she'd whispered of the evil Gold had done, and it'd made Belle wary.
But as she sat with the very man she'd been warned to stay away from, Belle couldn't help but think that there were some flaws in Rachelle's (or was it Regina's?) theory. His laugh didn't sound evil, and his smile wasn't all that wicked, either. There was something soft and warm about both of them. Honest, even. When their forks touched and he pulled his away first, it was hard to imagine him doing anything even remotely mean-spirited. It doesn't suit him, here.
"You go ahead." He lowered his. "It was my treat, after all."
She savored the last little bit of cake as it melted on her tongue, making an "mmmm" noise she hoped he hadn't heard. But when she opened her eyes to gauge his reaction, his mouth was turned up at the corners. Oh, yes. He'd heard.
"I hope you enjoyed your cake, Miss..."
"Belle." She said dreamily, still drunk on the taste of strawberries and cream-cheese frosting.
"Miss Belle? Well, that's an interesting last name." He said as he rose to stand up.
"No, no! Belle's my first name, I'm sorry."
She thought he smiled at her again, but she wasn't sure.
"It's really French. My last name, I mean." God, what was she doing? Why all the nerves now, when he was just about to leave? It'd gone so well, up until the point she'd made that silly noise.
"That's quite alright. I think I like your first name better." He shrugged into his coat and pulled on a pair of gloves. She couldn't take her eyes off his hands - they were covered in scars. "Nasty weather out there."
She nodded, falling mute. There'd been a light rain all week, and the forecast was predicating a dusting of snow over the weekend. But the way he was dressed, you'd think he was going out into a blizzard.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Belle." He held out his hand for her to shake.
"Nice to meet you too, Mr..."
"Gold," He said simply.
She shook his hand and was momentarily surprised - he was so warm, she wouldn't have thought he was wearing gloves if she hadn't seen him put them on a minute earlier.
"Is that your first name, too?" She couldn't help but smile up at him.
"No, I'm afraid not. But it's easier said than my first, so it'll have to do."
"Well, what's your first, then?" She said, leaning forward on her elbows.
"Something generic and hideously average."
Belle wracked her brain for a way to ask him what it was without sounding like she was prying, but she couldn't think of one. She paused too long, and he nodded goodbye in her direction before he headed out into the cold. His eyes lingered in her mind long after the shadow of his coat had faded from view, and she couldn't help but think that they matched his name - gold. Molten, gleaming, and dangerous. And the scary part about it was that the danger intrigued her the most.
chapter one end