Leaving early was his norm. The store needed opening, customers or not, that was his job. Every day for twenty-eight years he opened the shop. His hours were strictly enforced, excepting for the times he felt the need to "pop" in on the occasional friend, or more likely, foe. Today a different need struck him, his Belle.
Since her return Rumplestiltskin had been in the thick of war with himself, a war that had started long ago with Bae and had in years since ebbed and flowed with circumstances, Belle waltzing into his life being one big circumstance. When she was around his good side had a fighting chance, when absent, the Dark One prevailed. It was tearing him apart. This thought sunk deeper and deeper in his mind until it soaked him with a sicking concoction of fear and anger. Flinging a vase he had been cleaning across the room he swept up his cane and stormed out of the shop, barely remembering to flip the "open" sign.
The streets echoed with the sound of heavy footfalls and the clacking of a cane as he blew homeward. Once the door opened, after key turning lock, a stone faced shell of a man stood both glowering and cowering in the wake of his one true love. Said true love was flustered, for she was engulfed in a particularly handsome fur coat, his fur coat, while curled up on the floor. Her curls splayed across her bare shoulders when she quickly sprung from her nest.
" What are you doing, dearie?" We're the words mumbled from between his ever wider grinning lips.
She fidgeted with her rumpled night gown and played footsie with the fur coat. Eyes drawn to him. Lips being bitten by pearly whites.
" Just... Eating breakfast." The simple statement was said with the air of a question.
Gold nodded his head as he observed the discarded tea cup and plate.
" I see. But, why ever on the floor, dearie?"
" Its because you don't have any throw blankets!" Belle threw her arms up and made to flee the scene, but her beast was too quick and instead she found herself spun into his arms.
" Excuse me, your not being very clear here." He eyed her down, with nothing but pure love seeped in them.
"I haven't eaten at a table in twenty eight years." She all but whimpered out.
Rum frowned deeply at this. Surely they had eaten together at a table since their reuniting? He thought back. There had been several meals, at his shop, on his couch, on his bed, and his personal favorite, on his lap. That time had been more of an accident than anything but it would be one of his most cherished memories nonetheless. Back to the point though, no tables.
" And the coat?" He soothingly asked.
" It was cold. The only blankets I found were on your bed..." Suddenly she smirked, " You have a bizarre quirk for making your bed with military precision, you'd of noticed me borrowing a pillow let alone the quilt."
" So I looked for other things, I found this coat shoved in the back of an upstairs closet... It smells like you."
Gold shivered, shivered with both desire for his love and with hatred for the woman who made his queen resort to dining on the floor with a dusty old coat.
...
authors note... Just a random thought. :)
p.s. I love comments!