Disclaimer: Once Upon A Time doesn't belong to me!
"I still don't understand the attraction." Sighed Ruby, plopping the bag of take out from Granny's onto the table in front of her.
"How can you not? The stories you can read, the adventures you can have, all the wondrous places you can visit. Books can make all of that a reality." Answered Belle from her place in the stacks.
"But it's not really real, you know?"
"It could be if you just opened your mind a little, Ruby." Quipped the librarian as she made her way over to her friend and the increasingly enticing bag of food.
"I just don't get it." The two friends sat down to enjoy a quick lunch over Belle's desk.
"Tell you what. I'll read a story to you. I'll promise to pick something good, and you promise to give it a try." When Ruby opened her mouth to protest, Belle continued. "The whole book."
"Fine. But in return, you have to spend a night out on the town with me." Since the two had met a few weeks earlier in Granny's diner, they had mostly hung out in the library. Belle was trying to get the place ready to open, and Ruby, as good as her intentions were, always ended up sitting at the desk and chatting with her friend. Whenever she tried to help with the book-sorting, she always screwed something up, causing the other brunette to banish her to the desk.
"Can we make it something quiet?" Belle was hesitant to agree to a vague 'night out' with Ruby.
"Nope." She answered gleefully, opening the box that held her burger. "The quiet part comes in with you reading to me. The wild part- that's my department." Belle sagged her head with a sigh, nodding in agreement with her friend.
"Well, I can't deny that you are the wild one." She said with a smirk, earning her a glare from Ruby. "Fine, if that's what it takes to get you to open up your mind to reading, then that's what I'll do."
"Great! I'll start planning, I've got to make this night perfect. Who knows when I'll get another opportunity to get you out of your shell?" Ruby was already halfway done with her burger, while Belle had only managed a few bites of her sandwich. "Something wrong with your food, Belle?"
"Hmm? Oh, no, not at all. It's delicious as always Ruby." She said with a smile, picking up her food once again. "I was just lost in thought, trying to think of a good book for you." Ruby chuckled at the way the other woman could get so distracted just thinking about books. Nothing could distract Ruby from her food when she was hungry. "And hey! I do not live in a shell."
"Oh, really? When was the last time you went anywhere besides here, the diner, and Rumple's place?" A crooked smile graced Ruby's face as she noted that the other woman had no reply. "Exactly, which is why I need to make the most of our night out."
Time passed quickly as the two friends continued to banter. It wasn't long before their food was gone, only a few crumbs left in their previously full boxes. Ruby was avoiding looking at the clock, she knew that as soon as she did she would have to run back to the diner. Belle, on the other hand, was completely riveted in their conversation and didn't have any energy to spare thinking about such frivolities as the time. Since the first time that they had talked to each other, there had been a connection, one that had grown into a full-blown friendship quite quickly.
Granny didn't like that Ruby spent all of her lunch breaks at the library now, since she was always coming back way after her forty-five minutes were up, but she was happy that her granddaughter had found a good friend. Mary Margaret had been so distracted lately with Emma and David, that she hadn't had much time to spare for her old friend Ruby. As much as she tried not to be bitter about it, Ruby was very happy for her friend and her new family, it hurt that she wasn't around as much.
The library was such an attraction to Belle that Gold couldn't be mad at the amount of time that she was spending over there, he just wanted her to be happy. He didn't know how much time Ruby spent there as well, though he did know that the two of them were friends. Had he had the choice, he would have picked someone a little more calm for Belle, but he, of course, did not have a say in who her friends were.
"Belle – I'm sorry, but it's gotten really late, I have to get back." Ruby had finally given into the voice in her head that was telling her Granny would be pissed.
"Oh, right, of course. I'll see you later? We have to get started on that book sometime." Replied the other woman, trying not to let her sudden sadness creep into her voice. Ruby chuckled lightly as she stood up and stretched. Belle found herself staring just a moment too long at the taller woman's long legs as she stood. Ruby's outfits were always quite revealing, the opposite of what Belle usually chose to wear, and today was no different. Short black shorts coupled with a low-cut, bright red tank top left just enough to the imagination. Ducking her head to avoid letting herself stare at her friend again, Belle mumbled her goodbyes.
After apologizing profusely to Granny for her absence, Ruby got rushed to bus tables. She wondered a bit what had caused Belle's attitude to change at the end of their lunch together. Up until the end she had been positively cheerful, but as she was saying goodbye, Belle wouldn't look her in the eye.