Dr. Whale had had a hard day at work. He was the only real doctor in the hospital and it had been particularly cramped today; Henry had fallen off some stairs and needed stitches, something had fallen on Grumpy's leg, causing it to break and… eh, he didn't really want to think about it now. All he really wanted was to get good and drunk.

He opened the door to Granny's diner, happy at the prospect of finally relaxing with a drink, no whiny patients or whiny guardians who wouldn't be assured that yes Henry was going to be absolutely fine. He surveyed the room, his eyes searching out for that figure in red, but he couldn't make out Ruby anywhere and his spirits sank a little. Pulling up a chair at the bar he asked for a vodka on the rocks and asked the formidable Granny where her granddaughter was. Him and Ruby had gotten quite close lately, close asfriends, he liked to stress, particularly to Jefferson and Snow, both who'd raised their eyes skeptically when he answered their preying questions. He particularly didn't want to make it look like it was anything more than it was to Granny, whom he still feared no more than any other Storybrooke citizens did. "She's out." The old lady gave him the curt reply, putting the vodka rocks on the table next to him. Realizing he wouldn't get a more elaborate response out of Granny, he thanked her for the drink, gulped it down and asked for another. And another. He'd really wanted to forget that day. And then, staggering to the door, he opened it and went out into the cold outside.

He wasn't a good drunk, he had to admit. Okay, he was a terrible drunk, and sooner rather than later he was lost, somehow finding himself in the forest, staggering away from the footpath and into the moss covered ground. Okay, he told himself, okay… just… find a way out. It can't be that hard. But getting the right balance was already hard enough as it was. Then suddenly, he was knocked to the ground by something furry and huge. The animal's paws went right to his neck and he shivered, crying out in pain. Trying to wrestle himself free from the huge beast and making as much noise as possible, Dr. Whale prepared himself to carry out his own arm reattachment, seeing as the nurses in the hospital were useless. Assuring himself that he could fight the beast if he were not drunk didn't really help matters either. The beast was ready to sink it's claws, snarling. He cried out again in pain. Then, with one swift flick of a paw he was facing its wide yellow eyes, mesmerized and terrified at the same time. For a moment both of them were still, breathing heavily. Then the wolf turned its paw over and with the soft fur stroked the side of his face. Dr. Whale was breathing heavily, almost petrified as he watched the creature a strange purple light engulf the creature (he should really drink at home) and twist and transform right in front of his eyes. He closed them, wishing for the hell to end, wishing for the beast or whatever it was transforming into to just finish him off. But he could feel nothing, only that the heaviness of the wolf was disappearing and in it taking place a more lithe creature. A creature that breathed differently, more shallow and which who's skin felt soft and warm.

He opened his eyes.

"Whale?"

A pair of green eyes met his, and he recognized who she was almost immediately. Red lipstick, long dark hair that smelt of summer.

"Red?"

They both lay still for a moment, shocked by what had just happened. Then, realizing that they were lying on top of each other, Red awkwardly got up extending a hand to help him.

"Oh God…" she trailed off, looking horrified. "I'm… God Whale… I'm… I'm…" she looked like she was choking back sobs. "I'm really sorry."

The vodka had somewhat slowed down his reaction. They stood in silence for a while, Whale trying to come to terms with what had just happened.

"Oh…" he started rather shyly. "Oh!" He realized and then tried to think of something more to say, something to make it all right. She was leaning against a tree, closing her eyes, looking distraught. He stumbled over to her and put one hand gingerly on her shoulder. "Hey, it's okay… it's really okay." At loss at how to continue he retracted his hand from her shoulder. The gesture felt wrong somehow. She swallowed and looked at him, the rims of her eyes stained with black.

"I usually can control myself. Just, I only saw the behind and…"

"It's okay. Seriously. Nothing's wrong, see?" he made an attempt at spinning around to show him he was all right, which came off rather clumsy.

"Yes, but it could have been worse." she looked like she was choking again. "You… this is why you should stay away from me." and she sadly started towards the darkness of the forest, lifting her sleeve up to her eyes.

"Hey!" he said. "Stop!" He said, running over to her and turning her around to face him. Her eyes, even though tear stained, looked beautiful in the dim moonlight and her lips looked as warm and as inviting as ever. Her expression was resigned, however.

"I though I could control it Whale, but… it's useless. I can't. This is why you should stay away. I'm not being dramatic or funny or anything, I could have killed you."

"Well…" he had trouble denying it. "You didn't, did you? Listen to me…" she started wrenching from his grasp again. "Listen. Monster to monster, okay?" he paused, looking at her.

"Monster to monster." she replied in a hushed voice.

"Nothing's happened. I'm in one piece." he said, and lifted his hand to wipe the tear from her cheek, smiling. "Okay?" he looked for confirmation.

"I…" she was still hesitating. "…Okay." And she smiled back at him. They both exhaled.

"Well then… great! Do you want me to walk you back to Granny's?"

She smiled a proper lighthearted smile. "Are you sure you're in a condition to walk to your own house, Whale? I can smell the drink off you, you know."

"It's… nothing. You can't smell… anything." And he made a attempt at walking and stumbled right into her arms.

"Uh um," she said, laughing. "Why were you here, exactly?"

"Fresh air," he replied. "It's good for your… brain."

She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "Really, now?" she said.

"Really. Two hundred percent. I'm always out and about, walking in the woods. In the dark. Drunk."

"C'mon Whale." she stood him on his feet. "Looks like I'm about to be walking you home."

He gingerly stood up and shook her off. "No… I… am a gentleman and I will walk you home."

She laughed her infectious laugh once again, and he looked at her in the starlight and thought she was the most beautiful monster ever to grace the world.

They reached his house finally, just as the clock was chiming midnight. He had a lot of trouble finding his keys, but he finally produced them smiling triumphantly at Ruby.

"Would you like to come in?" he asked on a whim.

"Sure." She said. This is what he liked about her, she wasn't like other women he'd dated always on a whim, always indecisive. She knew what she wanted, and she had no trouble taking it. He opened the door to his small flat. It consisted of two rooms, a bedroom and a salon. They were both empty, only sporting the necessities; a bed, a couch, a TV. The only thing that was a little extravagant was the drinks cabinet.

"Wow," said Ruby, gingerly looking around "you sure don't like decoration, do you?"

He collapsed on the couch, with a bottle of wine and two glasses, seemingly not listening to her, gesturing her to sit. She collapsed on the couch next to him and took the wine glass, filling it to the brim and emptying it almost immediately in the time it took him to even fill his own glass. She filled it again with the dark red liquid and raised the glass. "To monsters!" she cried.

"To monsters!" he laughed and they both emptied their glasses.

She looked at him, her lips stained with the wine. She was wearing black jeans and a satin red top. To be honest, he's never been more attracted to her. Her hair smelt of summer flowers and her smile was inviting, as she put the wine glass on the table and leaned backwards. Suddenly, encompassed with a strange and burning desire, he grabbed her by the neck and kissed her full on the lips. He could hear a little sound escape from the back of her throat but he just kept on kissing, running his fingers through that amazing black hair. She leaned back on the couch and grabbed him by the waist, tightening the embrace. Their kisses were becoming more passionate now, drunken on courage and lust. He pulled away from her.

"So… what is this?"

She smiled and looked up at him. "Maybe we could call it our first date?"

"Maybe we could."