A/N: Wowie, I am so sorry this has taken me so long to update. I've had a good chunk of this written a long time ago, but I got so busy with school work that I didn't have energy to update anything or even start anything. I'm back though with the next installment, and I should hopefully have the next chapter up sometime soon since I've been very busy with writing. Idk what's happened to me this break, but I've been the most productive I've ever been in months lol Anyways, please enjoy and leave suggestions for any side prompts you'd like to see be done after this fic is over ^^

Weeks had passed since Calder had discovered Belle in Storybrooke's library, and within those few weeks Calder had spent most of his free time between Belle and the shelved towers. Even in this new way to experience Belle's presence, Calder still couldn't get enough of her; and he continued to watch her YouTube videos outside his time in the library when he wasn't at work or with Baelfire — though not in a creepy way, he kept reminding himself. Each time he would pull up a new video, Belle typically updated once a week, he would secretly hope Belle would somehow mention him in a video — again, not in a creepy way. He only wanted to know if she thought about him as much as he thought about her, but it was a long shot. They had only been having actual conversations for roughly three weeks now, but Calder was still holding out for it.

In his mind, if Belle mentioned him passingly in a video of hers, it would be a huge sign, that Belle thought of him as a friend and potentially more. The idea, of course, was ridiculous, Calder thought as he scrolled down Belle's channel. So far he hadn't slipped up in alerting Belle to the knowledge he possessed at his fingertips regarding her, but their relationship — if he could call it that — was still budding and he could easily fuck the whole thing up.

While he scrolled through her channel — seeing if she had uploaded a new video — considering it was Friday and her normal uploading day — Calder's mind began to drift toward all the possible ways he could ruin this friendship he had with Belle. A chill swept over his body as multiple scenarios played out in his mind. The most prominent one was that he wouldn't be able to hold in the fact that he watched her on YouTube — the information spewing out like chunks of lava — and that she'd be extremely creeped out. Calder's worst fear though was that Belle would accuse him of stalking her — which was still up for debate in his own mind — and that she'd push him away when they were starting to actually get to know each other outside of a computer screen, least beknownst to Belle.

Another big fear was that Belle would feel more threatened and scared than Calder had anticipated, and would actually contact the police to get him away from her. The fact that Calder was very obviously older than Belle too didn't help comfort him on this scenario. Let alone that most of the scenarios he played out in his mind consisted of Belle rejecting him in some form and calling him a stalker, thus putting himself in a metaphorical jail cell in his mind where he wouldn't be able to bother or see Belle for the rest of his days.

The more thought he put into it, the more anxious Calder grew about the next time he would meet with Belle. Each passing day he was closer to exploding with all the knowledge he had, but kept it under control when he thought of the possible consequences. It also didn't hurt to think of her last known boyfriend, Gaston — Calder retched at the mention of his name — and that that seemed to be her apparent type. Calder fit neither the brawn or young physique of that dimwit of a man that he had unknowingly begun to compare himself to, and thus kept himself grounded when he thought he would spill the truth to Belle. It was a reminder for himself — although not the most positive one he could have thought up — because it made Calder want to break things whenever he thought of the likes of someone like Gaston touching Belle, and that he was the last person Belle would pick to be with. That was enough comfort for Calder to keep his secret with watching her YouTube videos to himself when nothing else worked. This way he could always have Belle in a superficial way in contrast to his cowardice of even asking her out.

As he thought of the more ways he could potentially screw this up, a sudden knock on the computer room door pulled him back to reality. Calder blinked rapidly, eyes focusing on the computer screen, before he minimized the internet tab.

"Come in," Calder said, already knowing it was his son on the other side of the door.

Calder wasn't sure why he was acting like a teenager hiding porn on a computer — if anything Baelfire should be in his position — and it wasn't even like he was looking at porn in the first place. Well, unless someone decided to count looking at the town's pretty librarian on her YouTube channel a new form of pornogrophy, which was damn well near where Calder had grown with his slight obsession, he was in the clear.

"Papa, can you take another library book back for me?" Baelfire said as he opened the door.

"Bae, I've already taken back three books on three separate days for you. Why can't you take them yourself with Emma?"

That was the furthest thing from the truth in Calder's mind as the words came out of his mouth. Taking books back for his son gave him more excuses to see Belle outside of his lunch breaks — that he had opted to begin talking with Belle somewhere between the first and second week of friendship — and a chance to discuss what book Calder had recently checked out that Belle had recommended.

"Because I still have to work on my part of the school project we have."

"Am I ever going to figure out what this school project is?" If he was going to press for information on this mysterious project Baelfire was working on, now would be the time.

"It's a book project."

"I see," Calder nodded and stood up from the computer chair, "is that why you've been checking out all these books?"

"Yeah."

"And I suppose you can't take it over on your way to the Nolan's, assuming you're working on this mysterious book project there."

"No, you have to take it, papa."

His eyebrow quirked at that response. The library was close enough to the Nolan's house that it wouldn't be a problem for his son to stop by. Something was up, and Calder was going to get to find out exactly was going on. "Why's that, Bae?"

"I'm meeting Emma soon and won't be able to drop it off until tomorrow, and it's due today."

Calder shifted to grab his cane near the computer desk, eyeing his son, who was fidgeting slightly, curiously. He wasn't fully convinced, but he figured he could let his son off the hook because if he took the book back Calder would get to see Belle again.

"Alright, Bae. I'll drop it off for you, it's a good thing I needed to go into town soon anyways," Calder said with a light chuckle. His reasoning for going back into town, namely to see Belle again with his son's sudden asking of returning a book, didn't need to be said aloud to Baelfire. What his son didn't know about his own ulterior motives wouldn't hurt him, Calder told himself.

"Thanks, papa," Baelfire said with a smile.

"Do you want me to walk you over there?"

"No, it's okay. Emma's parents are picking me up in a few minutes."

"Okay, son."

A moment of silence fell between the two, not exactly an uncomfortable one, but more of an awkward silence. Before Calder could open his mouth to ask where the book was, the sound of a car horn honking interrupted him.

"That's Emma now. Are you going to take the book back?"

"Yes, Bae. Is it that urgent that it has to be turned back this instant?"

"I just don't want to get a fine is all," Baelfire said as he hung onto the door frame.

"I assure you my boy, it'll be turned in today, and if it doesn't I can strike a deal with the librarian to give you an extension."

"Papa—"

"I'm kidding," Calder said, waving his hand, "I'll go take it back now, so don't worry."

"Kay, it's on the table, I'll be back later, bye papa," he said, and disappeared from sight.

Calder shook his head, following at a slower pace behind his son. He was happy Baelfire had someone like Emma — even if he wasn't going to admit it aloud yet to his papa — because she was a perfect match for him, though he'd never say that outloud. As much as he hated most people in this town, the Nolans were some of the people in this town he hated the least — and most had to do with his son.

That was the least of his concern though because now he was thought about how he'd have to see Belle soon. Calder wasn't used to going to the library on Sundays, but he had promised his son he'd take the book back. Also having his own incentive for going was a reward in itself, so Calder figured there wouldn't be any harm.

He picked up the book once he was in the living room — book sitting right where Baelfire said it would be — and put his coat on — book placed in the inside pocket — to begin his trek to the library. The weather wasn't too bad, and Calder figured it was fine enough for him to walk over to the library today instead of driving — his leg wasn't giving him much trouble either, and he took that as a good sign.

While he was walking to the library, the strange urge to ask Belle out came over him. He could figure out why the idea had sprung up — they had only talked for a few weeks at this point — and it wouldn't leave his mind. All he could think about was how pretty she would look on a possibly date with him, and the fact that it was nearly impossible. She'd probably want someone like Gaston again — which Calder was far from — but the idea was still there by the time he arrived.

Calder stood outside the library — his son's book between his hands — and felt his nerves beginning to betray him. He wasn't sure if it was the fact that he was showing up outside of his daily lunch break and Saturdays — throwing him off of his new routine — or if it was that he had been trying to work up the nerve to ask Belle out the closer he was to the library since he couldn't get it from his mind. The fact that it had remained the entire time he walked over her made it seem like he should just ask the question and get the rejection over with.

The building itself was intimidating enough to send him back home and make Baelfire return the book back himself. Calder could pay the late fee himself instead of having Baelfire take it out of his allowance — since it would be Calder's fault for not returning the book — but he somehow managed to push through the library's doors so he was standing amongst silence and books.

"Calder! I wasn't expecting to see you so soon! What's up?" Belle asked, popping up from behind the circulation desk.

Belle's voice startled Calder — he didn't expect her to notice him that soon.

"Uh, just returning a book for Baelfire," he replied.

"Okay," she smiled, "you can just leave it on the desk here and I'll check it back in."

Calder nodded — trying to work up the courage to ask her out — and walked to the circulation desk.

"Belle," he paused, "can I ask you something?"

She looked at him like she was surprised, but nodded her head anyway. "Yeah, what's up, Calder?"

Calder stared at her smiling face, there was no way he could ask her out. He was going to chicken out and end up disappointing himself by taking the safe option yet again.

"Well, what are you doing next Saturday?" he mumbled. He hoped that if he mumbled his request, Belle wouldn't hear it and he could pretend like he had said something else instead.

"Working, as always, why? Is there a reason I need to not be working?"

He had no such luck, she had heard him and Calder would have to talk his way out of this one.

"No reason," Calder replied.

"If I didn't know any better, Calder, I'd say that you were trying to ask me out."

His heart stopped. Had he been that obvious, he wondered. This couldn't be happening, and he had to have been dreaming, fallen asleep beside the computer with a video of her pulled up.

"I, uhm, well—"

"Calder, seriously, relax. I've wanted to ask you out for a long time but wasn't sure if you'd say yes to someone as young as me."

Calder snorted at that — he had been thinking of asking her out the moment he found her on YouTube — and tried to relax.

"So, you have a thing for the town monster then is it, Miss French?"

"When you put it that way, it doesn't seem that romantic. And you're not a monster, Calder. You're a very sweet man that I find attractive and would love to get to know better," she said.

He smiled at that — the words that came out of her mouth didn't make him believe any differently — but he was happy that his feelings were mutual. The pretty librarian that he had admired from a distance — both on the internet and across the circulation desk every day — was the one to ask him out.

"Well, can't argue with a pretty face like that, I suppose." Calder took his son's book out of his jacket pocket and placed it on the counter. "So, what time do you want to take the beast out for a date?" he quipped.

"Hmmm, well I close at six on Saturdays here, would that work, or is that too late for the beast?" She smirked at him, and Calder couldn't help but fall for her more in that moment.

"Watch it, dearie, this beast bites back."

"Oh, I hope he does," she said.

If Calder had been drinking something, that response would've had him choking. Sweet, little Belle didn't seem like the kind of person who would say something like that, but he realized that he didn't know too much about her apart from her internet persona and what he'd learned about her in the few weeks they had talked. He guessed anything was fair game at this point now, especially after the returned feelings of adoration.

"Well, ehm, that should be fine. Would you like me to pick you up here then?"

"That would be perfect," she replied with a playful smirk.

"Alright, six next Saturday." They stood there, staring at each other, in silence before Calder made his move to leave. "I guess I should be getting back, got a big day of working in the shop."

"I bet you do, Calder. See you later," Belle said with a wave.

As Calder was leaving, he couldn't stop himself from smiling. He had actually asked — well been asked — Belle out for a date, and he was determined to not screw this chance up. Now all he had to do was flush a good chunk of the information he had learned from her videos so he could be the proper gentleman a woman like her deserved.

A/N: So sorry it's such a short update, but I promise the last chapter will be much better as we see Calder and Belle on their date. Yes, smut will happen because that's the only way to act on a proper first date.