Pairings: Ruby/Dr. Whale

Rating: T (language)

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Once Upon a Time.

A/N: I was pretty surprised when I ended up liking this ship as much as I do. There's so much cuteness potential and I love that Anders ships it too. Anyhow, this was supposed to be a fluffy drabble that got mildly out of control very quickly. I hope you enjoy! And thanks to snarky for the prompt and the encouragement!

This was stupid, he should have offered to meet her somewhere else, not in the place where she worked. And where was Ruby, anyway? Oh, God, maybe she changed her mind about him. Maybe she'd remembered all those times his cursed personality had preyed on her, had checked out her ass blatantly when she passed by, had tried to get her drunk enough to get her to come home with him.

Victor took a long sip from his scotch and soda, cursing himself for not ordering his drink straight up. He needed the raw burn of alcohol in his throat to distract his addled mind from its racing thoughts, from all those memories. Glancing up at the clock, he clenched and flexed his hand around the condensation forming on the glass, unable to help but wonder what was making her so late.

What if she'd learned about Snow? Good lord, he could kick himself for sleeping with Mary Margaret now, all those years spent repeating that cycle over and over, completely unaware how deeply it would hurt both of them. It was a miracle that Charming had found some way to forgive him, though the Prince was more than guilty of his own misgivings under Regina's hand. But the fact that he hadn't been left bruised and bloodied at the man's hand was damned near unbelievable.

But what about her most loyal friend? Victor saw the way they interacted together; fiercely loyal and protective, a bond far more steadfast than sisters, he thought with anguish. How could she ever move past something like that?

Jesus, he was a wreck. One hand ran through his hair while the other tapped his empty glass against the counter. This time he ordered a scotch straight up. At least he'd be able to get one thing right.

The bell of the door tinkled lightly. His head whipped around and his entire body stiffened in anticipation but when he saw it was just Emma and August who had trodden in with Henry in tow, he relaxed, biting back the nerves that threatened to force the contents of his stomach to come rushing out. He watched the small family for a moment as they took a booth near the window, laughing and chatting happily while August reaching across the table to ruffle the boy's hair affectionately.

Letting out a beleaguered sigh, he turned back to the bottom of his glass. God, he was such a fucking train wreck of a person. How could he ever expect to have a family, to be a father, when he didn't even know what it was like to be loved that way himself? How could he ever give that to Ruby? And Christ, why was he even thinking that far ahead? His friendship with Ruby had only just begun, and their first date was turning out to be a complete bust.

She'd changed her mind; she had to. They might both be monsters, but at least she didn't have any control over the devastation she'd caused. And when she inevitably realized that, she must have locked herself away, hoping he wouldn't come calling.

The rest of the scotch found its way into his stomach and he threw a wad of cash down on the counter. Maybe it was better this way. Maybe he just wasn't meant to be with someone. He didn't even know how to behave in a real relationship. His pulse quickened at the sudden need to flee the diner. What if she did show up? He couldn't let her see him half drunk and sweating like a goddamn whore in church. He lurched toward the door just as it opened once again.

"Victor!" The familiar timbre rang in his ears. She sounded startled. And who wouldn't be at the sight of him?

His eyes slowly rose to meet hers. He tensed, ready to meet her rejection head-on.

But instead he found something he hadn't expected. She was smiling. That beautiful mouth cured upwards with the brightest, biggest eyes he'd ever seen.

And with that, every doubt in his mind fell away.

This was weird, wasn't it? She hadn't been on a date in well… close to 40 years now. And that cycle of men her cursed self had bedded in an endless cycle of joyless sex didn't count. Not really, anyway. Her mind reeled with the memory and she sat on the edge of her bed, clenching her fists so hard her nails threatened to draw blood.

Things were different now. She'd even said it herself; they had a chance to start over, to begin anew, to move past all the horrible shit they'd done before. With a deep breath, she rose and approached her closet. What would be appropriate for a first date with Dr. Frankenstein? When he was Whale, his eyes were permanently glued to her ass in those hot pants she'd insisted on wearing to work.

She cringed, knowing full well that he wouldn't be expecting her to dress that way ever again. But the fear of rejection lingered still. How many times had he thrown himself at her? Even when he was with other women, the way he stared at her from across the diner had been unsettling. Like that time he was on a date with Mary Margaret.

Oh, gods what would she think about all this? She'd heard about the one-nighter, and while it infuriated her that Snow had inadvertently cheated on her husband, it wasn't either of their faults in the end. Regina had been the one to put them in that position, over and over. But still… she'd have to have a talk with Snow about this whole thing. Depending on how well their date went. If it even went at all…

She glanced at the clock. Their meeting time had come and gone. Not by long, though; she still had time to change for the third time and run downstairs. But what if he left? What if he hadn't shown up at all? And why would he? Who in their right mind would want to date a werewolf? And what if, in the throes of passion, she somehow literally ripped his face off?

And what if he was expecting to have a family? The thought of bringing a child into this world was terrifying enough, but how could she expect him to be okay with raising a child that turned into a werewolf every month? Sure, she'd learned to control it for the most part, but she had no experience helping another of her kind overcome the pull of the moon. Wait. She was getting ahead of herself. It was just one single date. Just to see how well they got along.

She shook her head, threw on a blue printed tunic over her leggings and headed for the stairs. Rounding the corner of the inn lobby, she froze in the doorway. He sat at the counter nursing a cocktail. Her mouth went dry and she suddenly wished she had downed some alcohol before this as well.

She spun on her heels and barreled out the back door. A little air would do her some good. Before she knew it, she was at the front of the building looking in at the illuminated diner. He still sat there, fidgeting nervously and glancing up at the clock. He was still there. He was still waiting for her. Whatever problems they might face together didn't matter. He was there for her and he clearly wasn't going to run away.

With a renewed fervor, she raced up the steps and nearly ran right into him as she burst through the door. "Victor!"

He looked up at her slowly. She could see the relief on his face as she smiled up at him, then extended a hand to lead him to lead him back to his seat.

"Ruby, I—"

"Wait here." She disappeared into the kitchen and returned a moment later with a wicker basket hanging from the crook of her elbow. He cocked his head to the side and Ruby let out a small laugh. "You didn't think we'd actually have our first date here, did you?"

Victor shrugged, feeling sheepish. "It would be nice to have some privacy."

"I thought so, too," she agreed and bit her lip, then led him by the hand out the door.

They strolled along in silence toward the silent boardwalk. It was completely vacant now, save for a lone fisherman at the end of the pier, casting his line out into the murky waters below.

Closing in on a picnic table, Victor paused to watch Ruby set the basket down and began to remove its contents. After a moment she looked up. "What?"

"Nothing…" he nearly stammered in surprise. "It's just… the basket… who you are. It's cute."

Ruby's eyes narrowed and she smiled playfully. "Well what did you expect when you agreed to go on a date with Little Red Riding Hood?"

"I'm not entirely sure…" He looked down and took a step towards her, then flicked his eyes back up to hers. "But I'm glad I did."

The look on her face made his stomach flutter, and something told him that hers was doing the same. She bit her lip, and focused back on her task, extracting an array of foods along with a bottle of wine. He took a seat across from her and reached towards the bottle and opener to uncork it. The scotch from earlier was beginning to wear off and he wasn't entirely sure he could handle his nerves just yet. They made awkward small talk about their cursed lives in Storybrooke and when the food was gone and the wine drained, they packed up and began their trek back into town.

"So," Ruby started after a long silence and cleared her throat, "I know you're not from the Enchanted Forest. Tell me about your land." She turned her head to him expectantly

"Well…" It wasn't something he had planned on discussing and he stuffed his hands into his pockets, searching the recesses of his mind for a way to explain it to her. "It was a lot like here. No magic, slightly less advanced technology, and also no color."

"No color? How could there be no color?"

"I don't know…" he admitted. Although he was a man of science, there was no explanation for the monotone world he lived in or the shock he felt at experiencing the Enchanted Forest in all its lush green glory the first time.

"Do you ever miss it?" The question took him by surprise and he stopped mid-stride. Ruby turned and blushed furiously. "I'm sorry, I only ask because I'm… well I hope that someday we can find a way to go back to our land."

He thought for a moment. "Sure, I miss it sometimes, I suppose. But there's nothing there for me now. And besides," he looked up at her, the streetlight illuminating her porcelain skin against the chocolate curtain of hair. The only reason he would consider returning would be for his brother, but something in his gut told him Regina didn't leave him behind. And this wasn't the time for that. "How could I go back to a dull, lifeless place when you've given my life so much vivid color?"

Before he knew what hit him, Ruby closed the gap between them, wrapped her hand around the back of her head and pressed her lips to his. He stiffened for a moment before relaxing into the kiss and slid his arms around her narrow waist, pulling her flush against his body. She broke away after a long moment, her cheeks flushed and lips kiss-swollen. "So you'll come with me, then?" She panted, catching her breath. "If we find a way back to the Enchanted Forest, you'll be there with me, right?"

He couldn't stop the smile that spread across his lips and he didn't want to. He'd never felt this wanted in his entire life. "Absolutely. As long as there's indoor plumbing."

Ruby rolled her eyes and pulled him in for another kiss.