His warm breath passed his lips in white puffs. It had to be in winter that the heater in his car finally gave out and it was at this time that he had decided to take the road trip to Maine, back to his home town, a place he hadn't been since the eighteen year old version of him left what he thought was the controlling clutches of his father and the town he'd felt claustrophobic in.
Neal had grown somewhat in the last eight years. In the time away from his father he'd realised it hadn't been that he was controlling, just that he was a single father trying his best and he hadn't respected that, he'd resented it. They'd spoken in the years apart but only over the phone at Christmas or birthdays.
After eight years he knew it was time to see his father again, to be a family again. The young man's experience's over the years apart, especially the circumstances he found himself in now, showed him that family was important. What better time to seek forgiveness than December? Christmas was a time for forgiveness right?
The minute he passed the sign that welcomed people to Storybrooke and encouraged people to drive carefully, he felt sick. Neal better than everyone that his father could be mean, more than mean, evil perhaps, he just hoped that the years apart had mellowed his father some, rather than made him bitter. The phone conversations were never long and usually filled with long silences, though during the last phone call his father had seemed eager to have a short conversation, so perhaps this was a bad idea, maybe his father didn't want to see him.
As he drove through the town the bright, cheesy Christmas lights brought a fond smile to his face. In eight years they still hadn't changed, still bright colours in your face and every building had some sort of light or Christmas decoration on it.
Something that did surprised him was the sight of the Library under the clock tower in the main square was open. Since he'd lived there it had been boarded up, he remembered going up to one of the windows that was covered in newspaper, one corner of it had ripped and inside all the books were still sitting, dusty on the shelf, everything stopped like a time capsule.
The blaring sign of Granny's diner filled him with happy memories of his father, eating a burger and fries, his dad listening intently as he told him about his latest football match, his father would joke that they'd have to move back to Glasgow so he could play for the Rangers. All that had changed though, the older Neal had grown the further they'd drifted apart.
Still, this was why he was here to change all that, he needed to mend the gap he felt he'd created, it was something no phone conversation would fix. As he turned off to one of the side roads memories of arguments with his father where he would storm out of the car and ignore his father's calls and apologies.
There it was, the last house on the street. Bright pink, couldn't miss it. Obviously it was, as always the only house without Christmas lights, his father ever the scrooge. He pulled up outside the house, he drummed his hands nervously on the steering wheel. Taking a deep breath he opened the car door and got out.
The air was just as cold and crisp outside as it had been inside the car, he pulled the collar of the coat up around his neck just to touch his cheeks and shoved his hands in his pocket as he began the familiar walk up to the front door.
He took another nervous breath before ringing the doorbell, letting the familiar chime calm his sudden nerves. After a few moments Neal heard the sound of footsteps then the front door opened and an unfamiliar voice reached his ears.
"You're early, did you forget your keys..." the women stopped talking as she laid eyes on Neal, the door was open just enough for him to get a look of her.
She'd not been what he'd expected at all to find at her father's house, he'd expected the man himself or no one, not a beautiful young women. He drank in the sight of her for a moment, she had long chestnut curls, bright blue eyes, porcelain skin and was wearing a red jumper and brown pencil skirt, her feet were bare, obviously she was very comfortable in her father's home.
"Sorry, can I help you with anything?" she asked in a sweet Australian accent.
Neal cleared his throat with a few cough's before speaking "I came to talk to my father but ugh..." he stumbled for a moment "I guess he moved and didn't tell me" with that he turned on his heels and began to walk away, feeling like all hope was lost until...
"Baelfire...wait" the man turned sharply, he hadn't heard that name in years. He was surprised to find the Australian had followed him, her bare feet against the cold ground. "It is Baelfire isn't it?" she asked tentatively, her blue eyes shining in the dark.
The man nodded slowly "I prefer to go by my middle name, Neal" he informed her. The women broke out into a smile which in turn meant he couldn't help but smile as she pulled him into a small hug.
She pulled away and smiled brightly, her cheeks going red in the cold, "I'm Belle, your father's girlfriend" she introduced herself "Your father's told me so much about you" she then took Neal's hand in her own and led him into the house.
The pink Victorian town house was just as he remembered, a crystal vase bursting with red roses still sat on the entry table next to the dish for keys, the walls were all the same warm cream with dark wood accent, most of the wall space was covered in a painting or tapestry, "Papa never changes, still collecting junk" he could help but snicker as he followed Belle to the kitchen.
"He would call them antiques" Belle couldn't help but grin. "Can I get you a drink?" she asked as she led him in the direction he knew to be the kitchen.
"I'm guessing he doesn't have a coke" Neal mused as he followed her. His father had always been a tea man, never really a fan of the sickly sweet fizzy drinks that Neal loved.
"I'm afraid not" Belle let out a little laugh as she went to the fridge to see what drinks she could offer him.
She couldn't help but feel nervous, bordering on sick, Neal was the son of the man she loved, the most important person to Gold so his son's approval of her meant everything to her.
Also, this was the son he hadn't seen for eight years, she hoped that when he came home and would find Neal there that it would be a happy reunion.
"We have, wine, tea or water?" Belle asked as Neal watched her from the other side of the island.
"Uh waters fine" Neal nodded and watched the women move around the kitchen like a practiced art, a question burned on his lips, he just had to ask "How long have you and Pop been together?" he asked.
Belle walked over to him and handed him the water "we've been together about a year" she told him "I work at the library across the street from your father's shop" she explained.
"I noticed it had opened up when I drove in"
Belle nodded "It's been a struggle to open it, the mayors fought me every way" she explained "But your father's been a huge help"
"He still own most of the town?" Neal asked, almost afraid to ask, it was one of the reason he had no friends growing up.
Belle nodded "A lot of it yes" she nodded "I really don't see why he's painted as a villain by everyone in this town" she said and Neal could tell that it really was something that annoyed and frustrated her.
"So you never believed the rumours?" Neal asked as he took a sip of his water and sat down on one of the breakfast stools,
Belle shook her head "It didn't take long for me to see the real man underneath" she thought back to when she'd seen him getting emotional over a book or helping little Roland Hood look for his lost puppy, no he wasn't to be feared at all.
Neal nodded and looked around the kitchen, not much had changed, some new mod cons had been added but that was to be expected, his father had always been a whizz in the kitchen.
"So your father told me you live in New York" Belle asked, sitting on the breakfast stool next to him,
"Yeah" Neal nodded "I'm a freelance illustrator at the moment"
Belle smiled "Your father told me your quite the artist"
The younger man shrugged his shoulders "I got that talent from my mum apparently" he smirked, remembering his father's awful attempts at drawing.
"I don't know, your father's pretty good with his hands" Belle spoke before thinking, causing Neal to choke on the water, he spluttered everywhere , his t-shirt was suddenly soaked.
"Not like that" Belle cringed as she got up from the breakfast stool to grab the nearest dishtowel.
"I just meant that he is so good at fixing the things that come into his shop and you know he spins sometimes" she said as she handed her boyfriend's son the dishtowel,
"Thanks" Neal said through a cough before he tried to dry his t-shirt,
Belle opened her mouth to apologise or something but got cut off by the sound of the front door opening then the sound of keys hitting the dish by the door.
"Belle" came the familiar Scottish brogue that they both knew so well.
"We're in the kitchen" Belle called back, noticing that Neal got a little tense.
"I didn't realise we were having gue..." Gold stopped talking and walking as he rounded the corner of the kitchen and saw one of the last people he had ever expected to see.
"Hey Pop" Neal gave his father a weak smile as the older man just stared at him like a fish, his mouth moving but no words coming out.
"I'll give you both a moment" Belle said as she walked out of the kitchen, giving Gold's arm a reassuring squeeze as she passed him.
"Bae, what...why...are you ok?" Gold asked moving a little closer to the kitchen island where he son stood.
His son nodded "I thought it was time to come and apologise" he confessed.
Gold shook his head "No son, I should apologise, I was over bearing and..." he was cut off by Neal reaching out to touch his arm, the shock stopped his words.
"No, Papa, don't apologise, I...I understand now...actually I understood a long time go...it's taken me till now to be brave enough to face the truth" Neal said, his hands in his pocket, his eyes shifting from his father to the floor.
"And the truth is?" his father tried to pry carefully, he knew he should probably drop it.
Neal took a breath "That you were just being my dad and I didn't appreciate or respect that" he confessed.
Gold had not words and almost knew that no words were needed, he pulled his son into a hug and his son hugged him back. He couldn't feel relived, happy, a kind of happy he hadn't felt in years.
"I've missed you Papa" Neal revealed as he took in the warmth of his father's embrace once more.
"I've missed you too son" Gold sniffed back a tear, his boy, his boy was home.
...c\_'/...
"So so let me get this straight..." Neal said with a breathy chuckle, he almost wished he hadn't asked his father and Belle how they had met. "Papa was making tea in his shop when in comes a soaking wet Dalmatian followed by..."
Neal was cut off by Belle "Me just as soaking wet from the rain, Pongo isn't even my dog" she couldn't help but giggle as she leant back into Gold's embrace as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
They'd ordered pizza for dinner, all too overwhelmed to think about cooking, the three were now all sat in the living room, Belle and Gold sat together on the two person sofa while Neal sat on the bigger four person sofa.
"A nuisance, that's what he is" Gold grumbled as he took another sip of his whisky before putting it down on the coffee table. Belle bashed him playfully in the chest as he leant back.
"Pongo didn't like the thunder and lightning, he wanted find somewhere nice and warm" the brunet smiled fondly at the thought of the dog and also at the memory of the afternoon she'd truly got to know the mysterious Mr Gold.
"What was your excuse?" Gold chided with a grin. Neal couldn't help but feel so glad that his father was happy, that he had someone.
Belle rolled her eyes "Shut up" she said with a small smile before resting her head on his shoulder, Gold turned his head and pressed a kiss to her crown. This small display of affection in front of Neal was all they were really comfortable to do.
"That's one way to get Archie to owe you both a favour" Neal said with another laugh.
The brunet women stifled a yawn "I think I'll head up, read for a bit" She said as she nudged Gold's shoulder with her own before she got up off the sofa.
"Good Night Neal" Belle smiled at her boyfriend's son before heading out of the room, leaving the two Gold men alone once more.
"Belle is..." Neal began once the women in question was out of ear shot.
"I know" Rumple hung his head down a little "..too young, she deserves to be free" he sighed "I tried letting her go but she just wouldn't have it" he confessed, finally meeting his sons gaze.
His son shook his head "I was going to say she's great" he smiled, rumple let out a sigh of relief "I'm so glad that your happy"
"I am" Gold nodded "I'm really happy" he couldn't help but smile at just the thought of Belle.
Neal nodded once more, he was sure he was becoming a bobble head he'd nodded so much this evening.
"And are you happy?" Gold asked suddenly "You and Emma?" Neal had told them a little about his long term girlfriend, how she was a police women in training after being a bails bonds women for a bit.
"I am, that's one of the reasons I wanted to come" Neal stretched out his hands in front of him before lacing his fingers together. "It turns out that Emma's foster mum just moved here and opened and ice-cream shop"
Gold nodded, Belle and himself had been to 'Any given Sundae' a few times since it had opened.
Neal scratched the back of his head nervously, Gold new this from his son's teenage years, well the years before he had left. This worried him a little, why had his son come here?
"Emma wants to be closer to her mum" Neal began "We want to move to Storybrooke... I want to come home" he met his fathers eyes in a watery gaze.
The older man stared at his son for a moment, "You..your coming home"
Neal nodded "Emma's got a job at the sheriff station, I can work from wherever, we just need a place to live" he trailed off "And you do own half the town" he couldn't help but smile.
"That's right" He nodded, his mind began whirling at a mile a minute then he had a final thought. "No" he shook his head.
"No?" Neal asked, suddenly very confused.
Gold shook his head and stood up "I don't want to be your land lord" he told him.
"So..."Neal nodded "Right...I understand" he'd been out of his father's life for the best part of eight years, he was foolish to think his father wanted the burden of a son again.
He got up to leave, Gold reached out and pull him back "No you don't understand" he told him, his voice firm but not angry.
Gold let go of his son's arm "Neal... I don't want you to feel like you are under my thumb...It drove us apart last time...I don't want that to happen again" he confessed.
Neal gave his father a small smile "Your right" he nodded "But you'll keep your ears out?"
"I might have a lead" Gold said with a knowing smile.
"Oh really?" Neal enquired.
"I hear the librarian is looking for a tenant to the care takers apartment that came with the library" Gold explained, it would kill two birds with one stone. Since she'd moved in with Gold Belle was unsure of who she could trust to rent out her old apartment too, Gold knew that they'd both feel safe knowing it would be in good hands.
"That would be great, do you think Belle would go for it"
Gold nodded "We can discuss it some more in the morning" he suggested, the conversation would be much better had when they were all one hundred percent sober and not tired from a long emotional evening.
"Now..."the older man began as he put an arm around his son's shoulder and led him to his study that was next door to the living room "Tell me about Emma", he couldn't help but smile as his son blushed.
"Well, that's another reason I came" Neal shoved his hands in his pockets "I want to ask her to marry me"
"Wow..." Gold smiled "That's great"
"I was wondering if you still have Aunt Agatha's ring" Neal asked, his voice sounded a little nervous.
Gold made his way to the cabinet that sat behind his desk, it was filled with all different nick nacks, most of the stuff came from when he was going to antique fairs looking for stuff to put in his shop and found little things too precious to sell so put them in his private collection.
"I'm sure it's here somewhere" the man grumbled as he moved things around to find what he was looking for. "Ahaha" he turned to his son and held out the black box to his son.
Neal took the box gratefully and opened it, it was still as he remembered from when it had been on aunt Agatha's finger. "Papa, it's prefect"
"I'm sure Emma will say yes" Gold smiled, god if he smiled anymore his cheeks would fall off , he was just so happy.
Neal sighed "I hope so" then he had a thought "You didn't want to use it did you?" he asked.
Gold smiled "Uh no" he shook his head "I don't..." he began but his son cut him off.
"You don't what?" Neal snickered "Love Belle?"
"Of course I love her" Gold stressed, holding his hands up.
"So what's the problem?" Neal asked, offering his father back the box with the ring in it.
Gold let out a small chuckle "I already have a ring" he confessed.
"Oh, so when are you..." Neal began to ask when his phone began to ring. "It's Emma"
the older man nodded "I'm going to bed, your rooms where you left it" he squeezed his son on the shoulder before leaving his son and headed upstairs to his room.
He wasn't surprised to see light still leaking under the door, Belle often read before she went to bed, in fact they both normally did.
As usual, the sight of Belle in his bed took his breath away, her hair was down, curled perfectly around her face, she wore a simple vest top and loose pyjama trousers.
She was sat up with pillows propped up behind her and a book in her hand, she finished her page before closing the book and looked at him "Hey" she smiled.
"How many times have you read my handsome hero now?" he teased as she caressed the warn cover of the book in her lap.
"Hmmm, probably well into double digits by now" she grinned as she carefully placed the book on the night stand as Gold changed into his usual sleep attire of a simple t-shirt and baggy trousers.
"I must read it sometime" he mused as he climbed into bed beside her.
Belle smiled at him as she moved a little closer to him "How was Neal?" she asked.
"Good" he smiled before reaching out for Belle "Thank you" he spoke in a low whisper.
"For what?" Belle spoke in a low tone as she brushed his hair out of his face and tucked it behind his ear.
Gold sighed "For letting Neal in, for not sending him away" he traced a hand up her arm.
Belle shrugged "he's your son", she reached up and kissed him on the lips softly "And I love you"
"I love you too" Gold assured before kissing her again then reaching over and turning off the lamp as Belle did the same.
They laid down, Belle snuggled into Gold's side as usual. She felt Gold's breath deepen after a while, she turned in his arms, careful not to wake him up, she looked at his face for a moment.
He looked at peace, more at peace than even after their first night together or when they'd officially moved in together. She hoped that she could always make him feel this content, happy and safe.
Hopefully she had the rest of her life to do that.
A/N: Ive been writing this for an embarrassing amount of time. I sort of have a series idea for it, not sure if ill post it.
If you bothered reading, thank you.