Disclaimer: I don't own anyone.

"Don't you want to be with me?" The way her voice cracked was like a pickaxe to Leroy's heart.

He glanced up from his seat on the bench, a stone thing in the middle of the convent gardens. It seemed a little inappropriate to be talking about breaking vows and going against the grain here, but if this was where she wanted to talk, this was where she wanted to talk.

"Course I do, sister... But I've got a brother to think about. He's not gonna get any better here."

"And what's going to change if we go back to our world?" Astrid's voice wobbled, "What if it can be fixed here? I mean, there's got to be more diamonds down there..."

"There isn't. We tried."

Astrid played with her hands and Leroy couldn't help but think she was cute when she was fidgety. He liked her here better; just as beautiful without all the sparkles and flashy dresses. Made him feel like he could actually be worthy of her, that she wasn't so out of his league.

She was still out of his league, of course, but it wasn't as huge a gap here in Storybrooke.

Astrid folded her arms and shook her head, "I just don't see why you're so eager to leave. I mean, Mary Margaret and Emma are home, they've told us that our old home is pretty much nonexistant..."

"Someone's gotta clean it up," Leroy said gruffly, "Besides, you wanna stick around and be a freak show? I sure as hell don't."

"I'm sure there's a way to fix that situation," Astrid murmured, slowly walking over to him.

She took a seat beside him on the bench, staring at him so intensely Leroy thought she was trying to use telepathy or something.

"...we have a chance here, Leroy," she said softly, "If we go back home, the same things that kept us apart will return. Those problems that kept us from seeing the world," she reached for his hand, "...together."

Leroy didn't take her outstretched palm. Girls were nothin' but trouble... That's why there weren't any girl dwarves.

"Can't see the world here either," he said dryly.

Astrid huffed, and pulled her hand away.

"I mean, what about your nun vows? Wouldn't Blue be upset if you ran off with a janitor?"

"It's a lot easier to leave a convent than to lose your magic," Astrid murmured.

They lapsed into silence, Astrid preparing another argument to launch against him.

Leroy picked at a stain on his jeans, "...don't you want to be a fairy godmother?" He muttered.

Astrid frowned, "Being a fairy godmother would mean nothing if I couldn't be with you. I mean... How can I make others happy when I'm so miserable?"

"Knowing you, you'd find a way."

Leroy frowned down at his lap, fighting the urge to take off. He knew he was full of crap, she knew he was full of crap, and walking away wasn't going to get anything solved. He huffed, picking harder at his stain.

"Hard to say if it's even possible to get back anyway. We might be stuck here, sister."

Astrid smiled and wrapped her arms around him. She was pretty much the only person in the world he wouldn't shrug off or slug for such an act.

IIIII

I am quite upset that we haven't had any Leroy/Astrid loveliness... Yes, there's upteen million plot points that need to be addressed, but are they seriously telling me they can't show a shot of them walking down main street arm in arm or something? And this conversation probably took place because seriously, Grumpy's so gung-ho about going back and yet it's like he's given up on ever possibly being with his true love.

I have a lot of feels about this mini-ship, alright?