Sidekicks

By: RosexKnight

Anon prompted: Rumbelle "i'm the superhero's sidekick and you're the superhero but i don't know that and we both met on an online dating website and you look really familiar?"

Chapter One

The date was going well. Amazingly well. Belle couldn't remember the last time a date had gone this well.

The man she'd been talking to on the online dating website who she'd only known as his screen name "Sp1nning-G0ld" was now sitting across from her in one of the fancier restaurants in Storybrooke. She was amazed that someone so seemingly wealthy had come to live in a middle-of-nowhere town but she liked it, finding it quite quaint. The man himself who she now knew as Mr. Gold ("Just Gold will do just fine dearie") seemed to be perfectly confident until he'd actually seen her, and it took him a moment to be able to speak coherently enough to give her the roses he'd gotten. But they had soon fallen into an easy conversation about books and antiques and the printing press of all things.

He had a thick Scottish brogue, which she found much more attractive than she liked to admit, and was dressed in a three-piece suit, something she'd known about him from their online talks. Luckily, she'd thought ahead and wore a shimmering gold dress as to not make him stand out like he normally did.
There was something about him though. Something familiar about his eyes that she couldn't place.

"Are you alright?" He asked, and Belle blinked, realizing she'd been staring.

"Yes! Sorry I just thought there was something familiar about you. Don't worry about it?"

He tilted his head, and Belle could feel the confusion from him, possibly with a hint of curiosity. She pushed the thoughts aside, keeping her power in check. She wouldn't let them get in the way. Not this time.

He opened his mouth as if to speak but at the same time a beeping rang from her purse. She groaned internally as she reached for it, knowing ahead of time exactly what it was and hating every bit of it.

"You have a beeper?" He asked, chuckling slightly.

Belle gave him a genuine smile. "It's for business. My boss insists it's quicker…"

She glanced at the words scrolling across the screen "Roof Signal 911." God why did it have to be tonight?!

"I…" She stammered, half tempted to let her partner take care of it so she could enjoy her perfect date. "Something's come up. I promise I'm not running out on you this has been a wonderful night! It's just work and it's an emergency…"

"I understand, Belle." Gold said. She couldn't read him for a moment, but then he leaned forward and squeezed her hand and she didn't need her empathic powers to know he was telling the truth. "I'll call you later?"

"Yes! Please. Thank you." She stood, crossing the table to give him a peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Gold. Next time we'll have a full date. I promise."

"It's a deal, then."

And with a smile Belle was off, vowing that whatever reason had drug her away from him was getting a pummeling with her shoe.

Her partner was on the roof before she was, standing coolly by the spotlight that signaled they were needed. Superheroes were not terribly uncommon, and between Runpelstiltskin's penchant for manipulation and uncanny power of persuasion and her powers to read and influence emotions their athletic ability almost never came into the scenario. It was too bad he was an unbearable clod.

"You're late, dearie." He said.

"Sorry." She frowned, straightening the black mask covering her eyes. "I wasn't exactly planning to be out here tonight."

"Ah yes big night making quirks to the Dewey Decimal System?"

"For your information, I had a date."

"Oh lord the poor man. I hope you didn't bore him with talks of fairy tales and nonsense."

Belle rolled her eyes, not in the mood for this tonight. If it weren't for the city and those living in it, she would have dissolved this partnership long ago.

She came to stand beside his spot overlooking the skyline. "Yes well some can appreciate those things."

Rumpelstiltskin snorted. "Or some are just manipulating you to get what you want. Honestly with powers like ours how could you be so naive you silly girl?"

"You can't know what's in a person's heart unless you truly know them!" She snapped. "Just because your heart is black as night doesn't mean everyone's is!"

His head snapped to her, and Belle his eyes made her breath hitch. He'd long since learned to build a mental barrier against her power, but Belle could still see his eyes behind his mask. They were hurt and yet pleading. His eyes…

"Wait." She squeaked. Recognition flashed but he turned away.

"We have work to do." And then he was moving, walking to the roof exit where an elevator waited to take them down into the depths of the city and their assignment.

How on earth had she not seen it before?

"Rumpelstiltskin!" She called. "Wait!"