Dating 101 by Charming
An idea I had after watching again the moment were Gold asks David dating advises... I figured, he's not the only one who needs them.
Set a week after the end of season 3. No FROZEN mentioned in this plot.
ENJOY :-)!
David was walking in town, going slowly to the store to buy a couple of things Snow needed while she watched over their son Neal.
"David, wait up!" he heard a familiar voice call behind him and he stopped, for the man to reach him.
"What do you want Whale, I'm busy." David replied, still not fond of the man who slept with his wife when they were cursed.
Sure, the man slept with anyone with boobs but still, David had a hard time forgiving him, even if he delivered his son safely. He would have rather have Doc, the dwarf, do it.
"I... I need your help..." Whale said in an embarrassed voice.
"With what?" David asked, annoyed.
"Dating. I've been seeing Ruby for a few weeks now but I'd like to know what to do for it to work." Whale asked.
"Listen, I'd like to help you but I've got to get a few things for Snow right now."
"Please..." Whale insisted and David sighted.
"Fine, meet me in front of Granny's in 3 hours." David said and Whale nodded, thanking the prince before he walked away, back to the hospital.
David almost reached the store when, this time, Gold stopped him.
"What is it this time?" David asked.
"I'd like your help... On how to make a marriage work..." Gold asked and the prince shook his head.
"I'm already meeting in 3 hours in front of Granny's with Whale for something similar. Join us then. Right now I've got to get back to Snow." David told him and Gold nodded, thanked the prince and went back to his shop.
David was now in the store, looking for orange juice when he found himself face to face with Hook.
"Hook, what are you doing here?" David asked him, surprised.
Out of all the places in town, he didn't expect to find the pirate his daughter was dating in the supermarket, alone, standing in front of the juice section, far from the alcohol.
"Ah, David, maybe you can help me. Emma was called into work after our lunch at Granny's and she needed to get a few things for Henry's after school snack. I told her I'd go after my meeting with Smee, you know, to help her out, but I have no clue which ones here are the items from her list." The pirate truly looked lost.
"What did she write?" David asked with a chuckle after taking the bottle he needed for Snow.
"'Little orange juice', milk and cookies... Does she know how many sorts there are? How am I supposed to choose and get the right one?" Killian asked the prince.
"Well, Henry likes this juice. Little means that she wants you to take the small boxes. Come with me and I'll show you which cookies he likes and which milk Emma likes." David said as he watched, amused, Hook putting a couple of packs of orange juice in the basket he was carrying.
"Thank you. I appreciate it. I was about to call Smee with the cell phone Emma got me. I didn't want to call her and admit to her how lost I was." Killian breathed out.
"Anytime. You've proven to be willing to change, and I remember a certain prince Charles saying he hoped I'd remember our conversation about him being good enough or not." David smiled.
"Is this your way of accepting my relationship with your daughter?" Killian asked.
"Yes. Here, take these cookies, Henry loves them. Emma, on the other hand, is just like her mother and simply adores those." David explained as he grabbed a couple of cookie boxes.
Then he showed Killian to the Milk section and gave him a bottle of the milk Emma usually drank as he took one for himself.
"Thank you. Really. I'm trying to adjust and make our relationship work but this world is still strange sometimes. I barely avoided arguments a couple of times since we got together a week ago. How do you do it?" Hook asked the prince.
They were now in the process of paying and leaving the store.
"You're asking me for relationship advises?" David asked him.
"Aye, I think I am." Hook nodded.
"Listen, I have to go now, Snow is waiting for me, but I'm already meeting up with Whale and Gold in about two and a half hour in front of Granny's. Why don't you join us? It seems like today everyone wants relationship advises from me." David informed him.
"Well, you're kind of the example everyone wants to follow, mate." Killian added.
"That's a compliment, right?" David chuckled.
"Being Prince Charming means you have responsibilities. You have to help every other man try to be as perfect as you are." Killian joked.
"Now you're trying to charm me." David chuckled.
"You've got me. Is it working?" Hook nodded as they walked in the same direction.
"Maybe. See you later Killian." David waved the pirate off as he turned on the road to enter the station and give the groceries to Emma while David kept on walking home.
"David! Wait up!" Robin called and David breathed out.
"Robin, I'm in a bit of a hurry. Snow needs this." David replied as he pointed to the grocery bag he was holding.
"Oh... I was just wondering if you had a few minutes to talk... about relationships." Robin said while looking down.
"Well, it must be the day for it. You're the 4th to ask me that today. I'm meeting with the others in front of Granny's in two hours and a half. Why don't you join us?" David suggested.
"I don't want to intrude..." Robin told him, raising his arms.
"You're not. It'll be fun and I know you could probably use the support right now. Your situation can't be easy." David smiled.
"Thanks. See you later." Robin nodded before he walked off.
When David finally made it into his apartment, he locked the door and rushed to kiss his wife.
"Took you a while. What's going on?" Snow asked him.
"I was popular today. Whale, Gold, Hook, Robin... They all want me to give them relationship advises." David explained as he gave her the bag.
"Well, you're kind of the best." She smiled.
"Kind of?" He joked.
"Did you help them, then?"
"No, I'm meeting them in two hours in front of Granny's. I guess we'll go to the Rabbit Hole or something like that... You don't mind, do you?" He asked her.
"Not at all, go and spread you science honey. And remember to be nice with Hook." She replied.
"Of course. But what about you? What will you do tonight?" he asked her with a smile.
"I think I can entertain myself for one night. Maybe I'll ask Emma and Belle to come over." Snow replied.
"Good. I don't want you to be lonely." He smiled and kissed her.
.
When David arrived in front of Granny's, there was more men than he expected waiting for him. Obviously word had gotten around that he was going to give love advises and several people had decided to hear them. He had never thought people would be so interested about his life and his advises regarding relationships. Should he feel guilty that he hadn't suggested doing that sooner?
"Archie? Marco? Little John? I wasn't aware you guys were in a relationship." David asked, surprised to see them here.
"Henry told me that Killian and a bunch of others were meeting up with you when I saw him earlier... I figured if I wanted to start dating, I might as well have the good advises from the start." Archie shrugged his shoulders.
"I hope it's not a bother. Archie told me he was coming and... Don't get me wrong, I love my boy but... Life gets lonely sometimes..." Marco shrugged his shoulders.
"Little John is apparently in Love with someone but he refuses to tell me, or anyone, who she is. But he's willing to hear your advises none the less." Robin explained, clapping his friend on the shoulder.
"Very well, I figured we could go to the Rabbit Hole, we'll get less attention than if we were to stay at Granny's." David suggested and they all nodded.
On the way, they all chatted about a bunch of things and people seemed to get curious as to why there was so many of them walking in the same direction. some feared there was a new crisis coming but they all accepted David's explanation that nothing was wrong and that they were just on a boy's night out.
"Who are you texting?" Archie asked Hook curiously as the one handed pirate was trying to send a text message one handed.
Ever since Emma and Henry had gotten him the phone, the pirate had learned how to use it and Henry decided that he'd help him practice sending text messages, he'd communicate with him this way during the day. It wasn't a very easy thing to do one handed but he was getting pretty good at it.
"Henry. He just asked me where we were going. I think he's bored at Regina's." The pirate replied.
"He's not thinking of joining us, is he?" David asked with a frown.
"Oh, he wanted to, trust me. But Emma already forbid him to, right before she dropped him off at Regina's." Killian chuckled.
"Does she knows what we're doing?" Robin asked him.
"No, she just thinks we're going out for a drink, to bond." Killian replied and they all nodded.
"I told Belle I was going to Therapy." Gold said with a smile, almost feeling like he actually had friends.
"Not really a lie, is it?" Archie chuckled.
They had just found a big enough table in the bar when the 7 dwarfs arrived and stood next to them.
"Is something wrong Leroy?" David asked him, wondering if anything bad had happened in town that would cut short their night out.
"No, not at all. We saw Henry at Granny's. While Regina was busy speaking with Emma about who would get Henry when next week, he told me what you guys were up to. Do you mind if we join you?" Leroy explained.
"Of course not. The more, the merrier, right?" David nodded and the dwarfs found chairs and settled wherever they could.
"What can I get you all?" A waitress barely dressed asked them with a flirty smile.
They all ordered their drink (beer, bourbon, rum...) and a few snacks (fries, hot dogs,...) and after she left, they started by exposing why they were here exactly, each of them explaining what his relationship problem was.
"Personally, I'd like to be able to keep my marriage working... I don't want to lose Belle and I know that I have issues..." Gold started.
"I get it. I'm here because I want to be able to make it work with Emma. It took long enough for her to finally open to me, I don't want to lose her because of a stupid mistake I make." Killian nodded.
"I think everyone knows why I'm here. I've even heard that some people in town have placed bets on who I'll chose." Robin snorted.
"Yeah, I think you should stick with Marian." Happy said.
"Just so you know, he's the only one of us who's sided on Marian's side. The other 6 of us bet on you ending up with Regina." Leroy added with a smile.
"You bet on his love life?" David asked Leroy in a voice he'd usually use to show his disapproval.
"Of course! Before that we had bets going on when and if Emma would get together with Hook and if it'd be a real relationship or just a one night stand. I won a month of free meals from Granny's and a total of 500 dollars from several people, including Whale here who bet that it would be a one night stand that wold end with Hook's death by your hands, Charming." Leroy replied with a big smile as David rolled his eyes.
"Don't I feel loved!" Killian rolled his eyes, glaring at the doctor who thought he would die.
"I can't believe it! Can we go back to the subject at hand, please?" David smiled, amused.
"Well, I just started something with Ruby and I'd like for it to work... I've got a feeling I wouldn't survive for long if I messed up... She can get a bit of a temper when she's angry and because she's a woman and the wolf things, she's moody twice a month! I'm just praying those two moments never fall on the same days or it'd be the end of me." Victor Whale exclaimed, making them all chuckle.
"I... I'm in love with someone but I can't tell her, not yet... I want to make sure I can make our relationship work first. I'm not even sure she'll chose me anyway..." Little John explained.
"Do we know her?" Robin asked him.
"Oh... hum... yes, I guess." Little John nodded with a blush on his cheeks.
"Does she know how you feel?" David asked him.
"I don't think so, not yet." Little John replied and David nodded.
"That's the first thing about making a relationship work: you have to open your heart and be honest with what you feel. Tell the other how you feel before it's too late." David explained.
"Yeah, Neal said something like that before he left us to join you all in Neverland." Robin nodded.
"What about you Marco? Are you here just because you're lonely or do you have someone in mind?" Leroy asked the old man.
"As a matter of fact, I have been getting a bit closer to Granny lately..." He blushed.
"That's great Marco! I'm happy for you!" David exclaimed, as everyone agreed with him.
"It'll be good for Granny to have someone other than Ruby in her life." Whale muttered.
"Don't leave us hanging Archie, what about you?" Happy asked him.
"Oh, no, there's no one in view yet... I'm just a bit lonely and slowly letting Henry convince me that I should try and find love." Archie explained.
"The little lad can be very convincing when he has something on his mind." Killian nodded and David nodded.
"He's a lot like Bae this way." Gold added with an hint of nostalgia in his voice.
"Aye, that he is." Killian agreed.
"Henry is convinced that because my dog is named Pongo, at some point I'll meet a woman who owns a female dalmatian named Perdita and that it's going to be the beginning of not only my love story but also Pongo's. He thinks I should put an add out. He even argued that it would be selfish of me not to look because now Pongo is lonely and without his true love." Archie explained, finishing with a chuckle.
"Well, warn us when it happens so we can get ready to face Cruella Devil. Maybe we should start looking for ladies with fur coats around town." David snorted and those who understood the reference chuckled as well.
"So, what is your first advice for us, oh great master of relationships?" Victor asked David with humor after he finished his glass of Bourbon.
"Hard work is being honest, but it's also the most important thing to make a relationship work. You can't lie, not to the ones you love. The truth always comes out and in the end, it hurts them more than any truth could have." David said.
"I don't lie, not really." Gold replied in a defensive tone when he realized that everyone was looking at him.
"No, but hiding the truth is just as bad as lying. There's also a difference between literal truth and honesty of the heart. I believe I've told you this before." David smiled, looking at Gold as he spoke the last sentence.
"So, You're saying that I should listen to my heart to decide if I should choose Marian or Regina?" Robin asked.
"Yes. And don't worry about your son. If Regina and Emma can share Henry's custody without bringing the end of the world upon us, I'm sure Marian and you could do it as well." David replied.
"Or you could be with them both at the same time for a while until you find which one is the best." Victor suggested.
"I wouldn't advice that. Don't be with two women at the same time, it's just wrong. But if you do, little word of advice: make sure you don't mix up their Valentine's day cards or anything like that." David added.
"Feels like you speak from experience there, mate." Killian smirked.
"I was cursed at the time, it doesn't count." David replied , blushing while the others laughed, especially Gold who had been there at the time.
"What if the woman you love already loves someone else?" Little John asked them.
"When it comes to love, especially true Love, we always find a way. You can't give up." David told him.
"He's right mate. You've just got to stay in her line of vision and remind her that you're here for her, that you'll make her happy. If it's meant to be, it'll be." Killian told the biggest of all the merry men.
"You're speaking from experience here." David chuckled.
"Well, I was immediately attracted and intrigued by Emma but it's not until I was sailing away on the Jolly Roger after the self destructive device was activated that I realized that I loved her. I just couldn't leave her behind and let her and her loved ones die... After that, I had a bit of hope, quickly erased when Peter Pan revealed that Neal was still alive." Killian started to explain.
"Then why did you tell her?" Leroy asked him.
"Because it was the right thing to do. When you love someone, you can't be selfish with them. You put them and their happiness first." Killian replied.
"I wouldn't have been able to say it better myself." David nodded.
"So you stayed by her side, helped her when she needed help, saved her and everything until Neal died?" Little John asked the pirate.
"Well, yes but Neal dying wasn't exactly what I wanted. He was my friend, my mate. I was just hopping that she'd chose me over him eventually, that he'd fall in love with someone else." Killian explained.
"Do you think she would have chosen you if he had lived?" Little John asked him seriously, obviously very interested in this story.
"I don't know. But I was ready to wait however long it took, even if all I got from her was her friendship." Killian told her.
"Do you think Neal would have stayed your friend if Emma had chosen to be with you?" Little John asked and everyone started to understand his problem.
"I don't know, probably." Killian shrugged his shoulders, honestly not knowing the answer.
"Knowing my son I'm sure he would have." Gold nodded.
"Friendship is a lot like love. If it's meant to be, then it'll be." David added.
"I see... But should I tell her how I feel now, even though she's in a relationship with someone else?" Little John asked her.
"I think you should. You can't give up. There's always hope." David nodded.
"Plus, even if she seems happy in her couple, maybe she isn't, you can't know until you ask her, right?" Archie asked and Little John nodded.
"Fighting for your loved ones is always worth it." David concluded.
"But don't forget not to rush her, even if she leaves the one she's with. Give her the time she needs to adjust and just... be there for her." Killian added.
"What about you Hook, what's your problem with Emma?" Marco asked him.
"We've been together for only a week yet and we both have history... It's not easy. We argue about lots of things. I mean, we always make up and it's only small arguments but it's enough to get me to worry about the future and to want to do my best to make it work..." Killian started.
"Well, real love is messy. It's arguing and making up but you always find your way out of it. True Love isn't easy but it must be fought for because once you find it, it can never be replaced, by anything." David said and they all nodded, agreeing.
"We also both have history, mine longer and darker than hers... I don't really know how to deal with this." Killian added.
"I have that problem as well with Belle." Gold added.
"Show her your best side but don't hide your worst side either. She needs to know and love all of you. The good and the bad." David told them both.
"It's gonna take some time... But it's worth it. She's worth it." Killian added.
"Glad to hear it." David nodded with a friendly smile for Hook.
"I'm also afraid that I'll end up darkening Belle's heart just because she's with me. I'd rather die than fill her heart with darkness." Gold said, cutting Marco who was going to say something.
"You can't let this fear take over because it's just that: a fear. You have to believe that your love is strong enough to protect her heart." David advised him and Gold nodded.
"What you said before about secrets and not keeping them, are you positive about it?" Whale asked David.
"Sometimes, we feel like secrets protect the people we love but even the smallest secret ends up keeping us away from the people we love. One way or another. Secrets are bad for a relationship." David replied and Whale nodded.
At this moment, the waitress came once more to take their empty glasses and refill them. They ordered a bit more food and kept on talking about relationships and how to make them work. At some point, it went back to Robin and the fact that he had to choose between Marian, the mother of his son, and Regina, his soul mate.
"What about Roland? How will he feel about everything if I end up leaving Marian to be with Regina?" Robin asked.
"It happens to lots of people in this world and they're fine with it. You have to believe that your son will be fine as well." Archie replied.
"And believe that Love will find a way?" Robin asked and they all nodded.
"Absolutely. Love will always find a way." David replied.
"What I feel for Regina... It's stronger than what I ever felt for Marian... Tinkerbell explained to me a few days ago that True Love and Soul Mate are different things. A Soul Mate is someone who will always love you, who has been made for you, your one perfect love. You can have several True Love but only one Soul mate." Robin told them.
"I have a feeling that you already know who you want to choose, mate." Killian said.
"I do... I want to be with Regina, I really do... But I don't want to hurt Marian or Roland either." He replied.
"They're strong, they'll understand." Little John said quickly, as if trying to push Robin away from Marian.
"I... You might be right... I... I have to go... Good night... and... Thank you for your help." Robin declared before he left the bar in a hurry.
"So, how long..." Little John started to ask and Hook cut him off with a smirk:
"Until you can ask Marian out?" Little John nodded shyly and it made them all chuckle.
"I'd say give her a few days, maybe even a few weeks." David replied.
"But it doesn't mean you should stay away from her. Stay by her side, give her a shoulder to cry on if she needs it. Be there for her until you feel that she's ready." Killian told him.
"How will I know this?" Little John asked.
"I honestly don't know..." David shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, women talk, right? Marian is friends with Emma, I know they talk. I'll ask Emma and tell you what she tells me... As long as it's about Marian's readiness to date of course." Killian suggested and Little John nodded thankfully.
"I think we should do this more often, like a monthly thing." Leroy suggested, looking at David.
"Yes, I agree. With all the drama and everything, we don't spend enough time just us men." Marco nodded.
"I'm sure this could be arranged." David agreed.
"So Hook, I heard something about you and I'd like to know if it's true..." Whale started to ask.
"It's probably not. You wouldn't believe the kind of stupid things I've heard about myself since I got to this town. I've never worn a wig in my life and I definitely never had a mustache. What was it?" Hook asked him.
"Is it true that you gave up your precious, beloved ship, the Jolly Roger, for Emma? Exchanged it against a way to get back to her?" Whale asked the pirate who nodded.
"I did. It was the only way to get back to her and warn her about the curse." Killian explained, not really at ease with the way everyone looked at him as if he was a big hero.
"But word is that you loved that ship almost more than your life!" Archie exclaimed.
"Emma's worth it." Killian shrugged his shoulders, trying to minimize his action.
"He's right. If it's True Love, making sacrifices is worth it." David replied.
"Exactly." Killian nodded, hoping the conversation would concentrate on someone else now.
"Does Emma know it?" Leroy asked him.
"Aye. She asked me how I made my way back here and I told her the night of Baby Neal's party... A few seconds before she kissed me." Hook explained.
"Did you know she'd kiss you?" Archie asked him.
"No, I was pretty sure I would have to wait a bit longer. I don't know what I did to deserve her but I'll do everything in my power not to screw it up." Killian replied.
"Well, you did everything David told us to do tonight. You were honest and showed her how far you could go to keep her safe and happy. Hell, you had just followed her to the past, without any guaranties you'd be able to make it back, for her." Leroy said.
"And you showed patience, you didn't rush her." David added with a nod.
"Her father didn't kill you either that has to be a good point on your side." Happy joked, making them all laugh.
"I also overheard her and Snow talking about something... about how you punched your past self out of jealousy, because he was getting too... friendly... with Emma. I know it impressed her. The way she told her mother... Well, it was enough to know that it allowed her to see you differently." David explained.
They talked some more for a few minutes when David's phone rang. It was a message from Snow asking him to come back quickly.
Just a few seconds later, Killian's phone rang. Then Gold's.
"It's Emma. She says that she needs my help, that something weird is going on." Killian told them.
"Belle says the same thing." Gold replied.
"Back to the drama then." David sighted as they all stood up, ready to join the prince and the pirate in town to help.
"I still think we should do this again next month." Leroy said as they paid and left the bar.
"Definitely." David nodded.
He wasn't one to deny help to his friends and he had to admit that he had enjoyed this evening as well. It was a nice break from his daily life and he knew that Snow had her moments with her friends too, they needed it.
So, what did you think?
This is just a one shot, won't get bigger.
A review please?
Lorelei Candice Black.