Title: Just Friends?

Author: AoN

Word Count: 1,200

Genre: General

Rating: G

Feedback: Please and thank you! Let me know what I'm doing right or doing wrong.

Summary: She visits often and the stories she recounts makes Belle wonder if they were really just friends.

Ruby showed up everyday at the same time, very punctual, to see how she was doing. Some days were better than others. Sometimes, she was more receptive while other Ruby knew to keep her distance. Every day, Ruby hoped for good news, but with each visit she was only met with disappointment; it would have tarnished anyone else's hope, but Ruby willed on. She had to. She couldn't – wouldn't – give up on Belle. Ruby wouldn't accept that this was her fate, a life void of happiness and sanity.

Although Belle could not remember anything about her life – Ruby included – Belle had, at the very least, warmed up at the idea that they had previously been friends before the accident. The acceptance did not always work in Ruby's favor: she faced Belle's confused anger many times. If they were friends, why was Ruby allowing them to treat her like this? She wasn't crazy! She knew what she saw, why didn't Ruby believe her? Why wouldn't she try to tell them? Weren't they friends? Didn't friends trust one another? Or believed one another?

Ruby did believe Belle, but she couldn't let her know, which only served to painfully eat away at Ruby. She wanted so desperately to tell her that she wasn't crazy, that she hadn't been seeing things, but Ruby couldn't. They couldn't risk being overheard by wandering ears, such as Mr. Mendel's. She had to go about, pretending that Storybrooke was nothing more than its façade: a quaint little East coast town in Maine. No fairytales, no magic, nothing.

Instead, Ruby just hoped. She hoped that during the middle of the night, Belle's memories would come rushing back, that something in her mind would just click, everything would go back to normal, and Belle would be able to leave this place and everything with it behind, including the reason why she was here in the first place.

Ruby never allowed herself to linger on that though because then she became angry and she didn't want Belle to see her upset, not with everything she was going through.

During those visits, they were both unusually silent. Belle kept to herself and Ruby didn't push. She promised herself she would not push. It wouldn't help Belle remember, it would only aggravate her even more. As much as she didn't want to, Ruby knew to keep her distance until Belle opened up to her.

She had, little by little. Those moments were rare at the beginning, but they were now a bit more frequent. Ruby couldn't hold it against her. It was unnerving to have a complete stranger know more about you than you, yourself. Ruby quickly learned not to reveal anything Belle had unless asked.

How did they first meet? Belle came into Granny's diner one afternoon, alone. Ruby took her order and then frequented her table often to make sure everything was all right-

Like how she was doing now? Exactly like what Ruby was doing now. They had become quick friends.

Did she go to the diner a lot? Well, Belle was a frequent customer. It probably had to do with all the extra goodies Ruby would get her to try, courtesy of Granny.

Like the baked goods Ruby would sometimes bring in a basket? Yes, pretty much like them (were pancakes considered to be a variety of baked good?).

Did they only see each other at the diner? No, sometimes Ruby would deliver to the library, but she would never bring anything back to the stacks. They would eat in the entrance and then Ruby would help organize the library with her. They were getting it ready for the grand opening.

When was the grand opening? Oh, it still had not happened yet. Although Ruby would like to claim that she helped, more often than not, she was more of a distraction.

A distraction? Ruby would pull off titles she found interesting from the shelves, leading Belle to find another copy so they could both read and discuss the book.

So, Ruby loved to read too? Not at first, not really. Not until she met Belle, that was. Belle kind of opened her up to the whole world of books and, well, the library in general. Belles showed her how, as a reader, you could get lost in the pages of a book, be transported to far off lands and have daring adventures.

Why was the Mysterious Island her favorite? Because, well, simply put, it was the first book they read together.

During one visit, instead of bringing her trademark basket of goodies, Ruby came with carnations. "Granny though they would brighten up the room a little bit," she commented, placing them at Belle's bedside after dumping her jacket on the chair, ready to stay for a little while.

"Thank you," Belle replied meekly, from the hospital bed.

"You're welcome," Ruby automatically answered, adjusting the arrangement. "Granny was right, it really does-""

When Ruby turned away from the flowers, she caught Belle staring – not so much stare, but scan, trying to find an answer for a question to which she had yet given voice.

"Do you like them?" Ruby asked, now wondering if she had done something wrong and if this visit was soon to be cut short. Considering how well things had been going, Ruby couldn't deny that she had been expecting something to sour, even though Ruby felt her heart drop at the mere thought.

"Y-Yeah, they're nice," Belle answered with a half nod, but she continued to look at Ruby perplexed.

Ruby lingered in silence for a moment, respecting her promise to herself, to only allow Belle to ask the questions in an attempt to not frighten her off, but Ruby could not shake off that gaze. "Is something wrong?" she finally asked, shifting slightly on her feet.

At first Belle shook her head and quickly looked away, leaving an uncomfortable Ruby at a loss of what to do.

"Okay," Ruby replied lamely. "Maybe I should-"

"Were we really just friends?"

The question knocked the wind out of Ruby. She hadn't expected it. "W-What?" she managed to stammer.

"Just friends," Belle repeated. "Were we really just friends?"

Ruby felt her mouth instantly dry. Surely she did not mishear the question twice, right? She knew the answer – well, she knew the answer she should give, but it wasn't necessarily the same one she wanted to provide. "Uh…" Ruby couldn't find the right words. She quickly shook her head, pulling herself together.

"Yeah," Ruby finally managed to answer. "Yeah, just friends." The truth, it was the truth. Ruby could not indulge on a fantasy, not with Belle like this. It would be unfair.

"Oh, okay."

Did Belle sound disappointed? Confused? Did Ruby provide an answer that she didn't want to hear either?

"I, uh, actually have to get back to the diner. They're short handed," Ruby added. "I'll be back tomorrow, okay?"

"Um, yeah," Belle mumbled as she watched Ruby pick her jacket up from the seat near her bedside. "That's – yeah."

"Yeah," Ruby repeated, slipping her jacket back on. "Tomorrow."

End