1. Poison and Wine / The Civil Wars
Belle busied herself with pretending to dust the unicorn mobile as Gold fought with Milah. Just seconds ago she'd been about to let it slip that she had feelings for him. What was she thinking? He was a married man.
Milah stormed out of the shop, the bell above the door clanging long after she left.
"What was it you were saying?" Gold asked from behind the counter.
Belle didn't have a choice. She could never tell him that she loved him. But still she chose to open her mouth. "Why do you stay with her?"
"It's for Neal."
"But what about yourself?" Belle questioned.
He shrugged.
"You deserve happiness, too, you know." She knew he wasn't happy. He thought he could fool her, but she knew everything he didn't want her to.
"I'm not sure why you care, Ms. French."
2. Cola / Lana Del Rey
It all started when she got the date wrong. She was supposed to go to Neal's house to discuss their plans for studying abroad next year together, but he was at Emma's house today.
They'd been friends since she moved to Storybrooke from Australia. Neal helped her reach a book on the top shelf in the school library and they'd been inseparable ever since. Her father always thought that she would end up dating Neal, but truly she had eyes for his father.
She'd always liked older guys.
So when she got to their house to find that Neal wasn't at home, she hadn't denied Mr. Gold's offer to come in. A cup of tea led to talking. Talking led to kissing. And kissing led to her sprawled out on top of his silken sheets with his head in between her legs.
She wound her fingers through his hair, gasping as he licked at her sensitive folds.
Yeah, she liked older guys.
3. National Anthem / Lana Del Rey
Everyone knew Lacey French. She was the college dropout, the part time waitress with a drinking problem. She was the girl who wore a leather jacket and red lipstick to buy ramen at the supermarket.
So when she walked into Mr. Gold's pawnshop for the first time, she wasn't surprised that he recognized her. But she was surprised when he stuttered a few times. He wasn't even looking down her dress but still his face flushed as he talked to her.
Something not everyone knew about Lacey was that she loved mystery novels. And this man was a mystery waiting to be uncovered.
She made out with him in the back of his shop that day. He started taking her out to dinner at expensive restaurants and giving her fancy diamond jewelry. It seemed as if his world revolved around her.
Until the day a yellow bug rolled into town and he greeted her using the name "Belle."
4. Little Black Dress / Sara Bareilles
Belle had spent the last three week curled up in her bed with her paperback copy of Pride and Prejudice. Ruby finally decided to drag her out of her library apartment to the Rabbit Hole. Belle tugged on a simple black dress that went to her knees, trying to twirl around and feel like herself.
In the car Ruby turned on the radio, singing at the top of her lungs in an attempt to get Belle to do something other than mope.
Belle sat in their booth at the Rabbit Hole. Everyone around them danced and laughed, but Belle bit her lip, only occasionally eating a french fry.
It had been a week since she pushed Rumple over that dreadful red spray painted line. She hoped he was alright.
5. Birds of a Feather / The Civil Wars
Belle sat behind the counter in the library. The library in the Underworld didn't feel anything like her library back in Storybrooke, but she always did her best thinking in that chair.
Rumple was a like a splinter in her fingertips. She couldn't seem to get him out of her thoughts. Maybe she should stop trying.
But he'd sold their baby.
Of course, he hadn't known at the time that he would ever have a second child. He was just doing what he needed to protect his first child. And that was the kind of father who could protect this unborn child, even from Hades.
Sure, she disagreed with how he did things. But a few disagreements couldn't could tear them apart. She knew she'd be with him in the end.
6. Is There Somewhere / Halsey
Is there somewhere we can go?
Belle stared at the text. Her father was downstairs working in the flower shop. Gold's aunts were like hawks hovering over them when she visited. This summer stretched on without so much as a hug between Belle and Gold.
Belle replied back to meet at Granny's. Ruby would understand.
That was how they ended up in an unused room of Granny's inn, accidentally banging their teeth against each other with their messy kisses like the teenagers they were.
Neither of them were sure what they were doing. They'd been friends since preschool. But lately hanging out meant Belle on top of Gold with her skirt hiked up around her hips. And they were both alright with that.
7. Say No To This / Hamilton
Gold opened his front door to see his shop assistant standing there, her fingers playing with the edge of her skirt.
"You said Milah was out of town?" She asked.
"Yes."
Belle stepped in, closing the door behind her.
"What are you-"
She cut him off with her lips on his.
Gold wondered if he should put a stop to this. But they both had wanted this for a while. He thought of his wife and his marriage vows and his unborn son. But even if he wanted to, he couldn't say no to this.
He led Belle into his bedroom, undressing her and making her gasp as if he'd done it a million times before.
That wasn't the last time he was with Belle.
8. Yellow Flicker Beat / Lorde
Belle held her chin up like the princess her family expected her to be. Rumple's fingers curled around her waist, his clawlike nails digging into the yellow silk dress she wore.
"Are you sure about this?" He asked.
Belle nodded, and with a wave of his hand, the door to the war room opened up. They entered in a parallel of what it had been when he took her away all those months ago.
Back then she held herself stiff as the dead body that she thought she was to keep from shaking under the Dark One's touch. Now she leaned into him. Now they called her the Dark Lady.
Her father didn't rush over to her when he saw her. He exchanged nervous glances with everyone in the room. These people used to be her friends, but now they were too scared to whisper her name.
Belle left the safety of Rumple's arms to approach her father. She avoided locking eyes with Gaston.
"Father." She greeted him, but he just stared at her. "I thought you should know, you are to be a grandfather."
9. Seasons of Love / Glee Cast Version
Belle hated when Rumple was the Dark One. But at least she had the comfort of knowing that nothing could hurt him. She sat at his bedside as the beeping on his heart monitor sped up.
Only a year passed since he gave up the power. Just one year of mornings in and the ability to go out to lunch without getting interrupted and reading stories to their kids in funny voices.
She should be thankful for the year, but sitting in the harsh whiteness of the hospital room she found herself selfishly wanting more. She still had more to do with him, more to say to him.
He flatlined.
10. Fresh Pair of Eyes / Brooke Waggoner
Belle pulled her jacket tighter around her. She shouldn't have gone on that date. She knew the minute she agreed to go out with Gaston she would regret it. But she was desperate to get over Gold.
Soft-haired, brown-eyed, suit-wearing, Scottish-accented Professor Gold.
It was the cliche of all cliches. Having a crush on her teacher. She supposed it was his fault for teaching something as boring as chemistry. Of course she would spend class fantasizing about the professor.
Her hair was getting soaked in the rain, but then a black Cadillac pulled up next to her. For a moment she thought she was being abducted, but then she saw Professor Gold himself sitting in the driver's seat. She pulled the door open, sitting down.
Without a word he pulled away from the curb. She'd only known him a few months, but he was the type of guy she left Storybrooke to meet. Someone who didn't know her as the weird girl with too many books. He was a fresh pair of eyes looking at her as something more than a pretty face.
When he stopped at a stop sign, they both turned their heads to look at each other. She wasn't sure who moved first, but within seconds they were attacking each other's lips.