A persistent question has been stuck on Belle's mind lately. She's sitting at the bar with her favorite iced tea. It's been untouched since Belle got it an hour ago. The ice had already melted. She tries to continue reading but instead an anxious feeling that of butterflies started creeping in her stomach. She shifts in her seat a couple of times until finally Ruby notices.

"What's wrong, Belle?" Ruby asked sounding a bit worried. "You seem restless. The iced tea not working for you?"

"Oh no...It's nothing...It's just that...I uhm...nevermind." Belle responded with hesitation in her voice.

Actually, she wanted to ask Ruby... In fact, she's dying to know what her answer would be. Belle initially hesitates afraid that the question might be too awkward or might give away her interest in her friend's answer. Yet the thought battles like tug o' war, sometimes going to one direction and sometimes to the other. Until finally...

"Ruby... do you think after Peter...(Belle bites her lower lip).. that after Peter... that you could love again?" Belle inquired with such persistence and curiosity in her voice.

Ruby stopped whatever she's doing and paused for a moment. She slowly looked down, her brown eyes narrowed and swept for any recollection. Her thoughts of past were deeply buried in a bolted chamber within her subconscious mind. Yet when Belle asked, it's as if someone had trespassed -no, only dared to reveal her inner most possessions. She was reminded by the horrible incident that happened to her beloved which left her scarred for years. She was reminded by her inability to accept her own identity leaving her helpless and insecure. Yet despite all of these, she was reminded by the people that helped shape her...the person that saw through her... Belle.

"I shouldn't have...I'm sorry." Belle apologized feeling a bit a wreck.

Instead of flashing a sullen face, Ruby looked up, her brown eyes illuminated like the rays of a full moon. She smiled, a small one to begin with but as she stared into Belle's worried face, her smile grew until it pressed into her cheeks revealing her perfect pearly white teeth.

Belle feeling abashed, bites her lower lip. Both her hands now tightly gripping her book. "What are you smiling at?"

The other woman still wearing a smile, leans forward, rests her elbows up the counter and responds. "You..."

"I'm sorry. What?" Belle responds with clouds confusion all over her face.

"You asked me if I could love again and I love y-" even before Ruby could finish her own sentence she couldn't resist kissing the beautiful woman in front of her. She leans in and kisses Belle with her mouth open, before another word from her could interject.

As Ruby kisses her deeply, Belle's eyes slowly closes. Her book drops on the floor. She's cupping Ruby's face only to kiss her ever so deeply. She tastes the strawberries in her partner's lips. She feels her soft tongue gliding inside her mouth...

She looks at Ruby, "Would you believe this has been bothering me for days?"