So I wrote this a while ago but finally got around to posting it, hope you like it!
Disclaimer: I don't own Once Upon a time.
She was an angel, and her voice shone through his darkness. Watching her on stage was memorizing. She clasped both hands around the slender microphone stand and swayed with it like a dace with someone she loved. That prompted ideas of dancing with her, and what he would give to do that. He imagined holding her slender form in his arms. Then her hands coming to rest above his shoulders around his neck. She would be wearing a golden ball gown, not unlike the golden dress she was wearing now. She glowed against the darkness of the stage. Her long sleeved golden dress sparkled with sequins reflecting the spotlight. It came right above her knees and hugged her body, extenuating her smooth curves.
He had never heard of Belle French before but his teenage son had. Bae loved her music and was over the moon when he found out she would be playing in Storybrooke. Posters announcing the arrival the band 'Of Stories Untold,' Robert found it odd that such a band would be coming to their small town but could hardly refuse when he son gave him a pleading look. After seeing her and hearing her sing he was glad his son had convinced him. The way she sang was as if she was telling a story. She brought him into a different world. She spoke of tragedies and adventures and of happy endings. She had him enraptured. He wanted to wrap his spindly finders in her auburn tresses, wanted to stare down into her cerulean eyes and have her gaze back into hers. He was broken out of his thoughts when her cherry color lips stopped singing and clapping erupted. She smiled brightly.
"Thank you so much." Belle said sincerely as she looked down at all her fans, or 'storytellers' as they liked to call themselves, crowded by the stage. Her accent was thinker than he guessed while she was singing, but he loved it. "Can we give a round of applause for the band?" It was only then did Robert Gold realized that Belle French wasn't the only one on stage. Her band was behind her, and the crowd put their hands together for each member. Her band members were each well known.
Graham Hubert was her lead guitarist and a very close friend of hers. A lot of her friends thought they were dating but neither Graham nor Belle had ever confirmed that. He had a smooth Irish accent and a rugged beard, fans called him the lonely Hunter. As the fans applauded for him he gave a slight bow, and a small smile.
Then there was Ruby Lucas. She was Belle's best friend. They met when they were young and instantly connected even thought they were very different. Belle wore sundresses and heels while ruby, like tonight wore tight leather pants and a dark red tank tops. Belle loved books and Ruby was more in to fashion magazines. However despite their differences they were as thick as thieves. So when Belle asked Ruby to play keyboard, she immediately said yes. When the crowd cheered for her she gave a huge smile and a large wave.
The drums were played by David who was married to one of Belle's friend Mary Margaret, much to the disappointment of the lovesick fans. However Belle loved the couple, they had such a fairytale romance. They even had a beautiful daughter together. Emma had grown up so fast, already sixteen. She loved her parents, but did hate being dragged around the country all the time for tours and shows. However she did think her dad being in a band was pretty cool. Belle hadn't known David very well before he was a part of the band, but when Mary Margaret heard Belle needed a drummer Mary Margaret had suggested her husband. Belle was glad she had because he did an amazing job. He gave a charming smile to the crowd and twirled a drumstick in his hand.
Her guitarist was a man by the name of Jefferson. Not much was known about him but you could tell he was pretty eccentric just by the way he dressed. He wore dark mismatching colors and a tall floppy top hat. He tipped his hat to the crowd.
"Thank you so much for coming. You guys are the best fans in the world. I love you so much. Thank you and goodnight." She blew everyone a kiss and exited of the stage and the crowd roared again. Her band members waved one last time and followed their leader. The lights on the stage went up and blinded everyone. The stage manager came up and smiled and spoke into the abandoned microphone.
"Thank you for coming and Belle and the band will be in the lobby signing CDs and poster in 5 minutes. Thank you." He ducked off the stage as the concert attenders rushed out to the lobby. Bae pulled him along.
"Come on dad," He called as he tugged on his hand to get in line. Robert kept up with his son despite his limp; an injury from an old accident. They were pretty far away from the front of the line and the white table that the band sat behind, but he could still catch glimpse of Belle through the hoard of people and security surrounding her. She was in the middle of the table with Jefferson and David before her. On her other side at the end of the table was Ruby, who was right next to her, and Graham. Robert could see a smile and the wave of Belle's pen as she signed a girl's CD. He was caught off guard when Bae asked him a question. It took him second to process what his son asked.
"So what did you think dad?" he had asked excitedly, a bright smile plastered on his face. What he thought, Robert said inwardly. He thought it was amazing, that she had been amazing. But Robert was a prideful, distinguished lawyer/landlord/pawnshop owner, he wants supposed to like this new and upcoming band with their hopeful and upbeat songs. He was definitely not supposed to be entranced with the lead singer who was at least twenty years younger than him.
"Uhh… Well it's not really my type of music Bae," His son frowned disappointed. "But we didn't come for me," Robert told him quickly. "How did you like it?" His sons face immediately lit up.
"I loved it! I especially liked when Graham and Belle did the duet, and how David filled in with the drums. It was amazing…" Robert smiled as he listened to his song go on and on about the concert.
They finally reached the front of the line. He stood behind Bae as his son got his CD signed by Jefferson and then David as he worked himself closer to Belle. David signed his name, pretty fancy for a guy, and slid Bae's CD to the lead singer of the band to sign. Bae was excited to finally meet her. Without looking up yet she signed her name with a big B and then an e-l-l-e.
"Thank you so much for coming…" she said and then she looked up.
oOo
Her bright blue eyes looked out from under her dark lashes as her eyes looked at Bae's and then scanned up to the man in the expensive suit with the unreadable expression. It was at that moment when she decided he was an enigma. She tried to get a read but she couldn't. His hands settled over his gold handed cane. He was handsome, she decided. He had brown greyish hair that fell just above his shoulders, and deep dark eyes. She was shook out of her inspection of the mysterious man when the person she assumed was his son, started talking to her.
"Hi, I'm Bae, your music is amazing" he told her with a nervous but wide smile. Robert didn't often seeing his son so happy. The last few years had been hard for Bae, and for him. Bae's mother had left them both and Robert was always working, providing everything his son could ever ask for, not that Bae ever asked for anything. Robert was glad that Bae was smiling. Belle giggled.
"Bae that's an unusual name," she told him. "I like it a lot, and thank you. I love hearing that people enjoy want we loved to do," she said gesturing to the rest of the band. Bae nodded enthusiastically. Her eyes flickered up to the man behind him. She shocked him when she actually leaned over the table and stuck her hand out. "Hi, I'm Belle French." She introduced herself. He gave her a dry smile. "Yeah, I figured that out by all the posters of yourself, dearie." he said but shook her hand. To his surprise she laughed.
"Of course you did. Sorry that was stupid of me." She still smiled at him and he couldn't believe it. "Well you clearly know my name but I still don't know yours," she said and was surprised at how flirty she sounded. She was sure if she turned her head Ruby would be giving her a look
"Names hold power," he said and her smile lessened a bit disappointed. He seemed so guarded, and she wondered why. Just another thing she wanted to figure out about him. He didn't like how her face fell so he quickly added, "the names Mr. Gold."
"Well it's nice to meet you Mr. Gold." She acknowledged. "I hope you enjoyed the concert."
"It really not his type of music," Bae interjected quoting his father, and Belle frowned but quickly recovered. However not quickly enough for him to not notice it. He felt a pang in his chest knowing that she thought he didn't like her music when in reality he thought she was the best singer he had ever heard.
"That's not-," he started to recover, but Belle held up a hand and interrupted him.
"That perfectly fine, Mr. Gold! I'm perfectly ok with knowing that you don't like our music as long as you don't not like music in general." However in truth for some reason she was disappointed. She didn't know why but she wished he had like her songs. The line wasn't moving very fast so Bae and him were still stuck in the same spot. She decided to keep up the conversation.
"So Bae if you don't mind me asking, where do you go to school?"
"I go to Storybrooke High. I'm in tenth grade." He told her.
"Really," a new voice added to their conversation. It was David, the drummer. "My daughter Emma is starting there next week in your grade." Robert blinked at this, confused.
"You're staying in Storybrooke?" he asked David, who nodded.
"Yes, me and the whole band." David answered, but it was Belle spoke up to elaborate.
"I thought the band needed a rest. I've been dragging them all over the country for the last 4 months. They needed a break." Bae looked excited at the prospect of the whole band staying in his home town.
"All of you? Here? In Storybrooke?" he asked with wide eyes. Belle nodded, but Robert narrowed his eyes.
"Why?" he asked and all eyes turned to him. "I just mean Storybrooke's a small secluded town where nothing ever happens, with up and down weather."
"Actually it's where I grew up." She told him. That stunned both him and Bae.
"I never knew that." Bae said.
"Not many people do." She responded. "I guess I just missed home and Storybrooke seemed like the perfect place to recharge and relax for a while." She smiled nostalgically. Robert was on the fence about the whole idea of her staying in Storybrooke. The town was small and they were most likely going to run into each other. He was wondering how long he couldn't keep his little crush a secret and how long before it turned into something more. She intrigued him, her songs intrigued him. However he knew he would never be anything to her but another face in the crowd, another person in the line. If only he knew that she did think of him like that. He was a mystery to him and she was drawn to him. She wanted to figure him out. She wanted to see the flesh and bones underneath the armor he wore. She wanted to get to know the man, and she would get the chance.
"Well welcome back to Storybrooke Miss French." Robert said with a slight smile. She returned it.
"Thank you, Mr. Gold. It's good to be back."
oOo
Thanks for reading! Please leave a review or prompt if you want to read more! – echofinley