AN: Sorry this took so long to upload but hey, new chapter and we all know what that means, procrastination!
If the layout of the library is ever mentioned in the show I've either forgotten or I'm blocking it out in favour of my own so its description is just what it is in my head. TBH the entire layout of Storybrooke is a mystery to me but I do now know that the library cannot, if fact, be seen from the diner… whoops.
"You're right," Emma exclaims, stepping through the door of the library apartment. "This place is a shit hole."
"I believe the word I used was 'disgusting'," Belle says with a small smile tugging on her lips.
"Which is polite speak for shit hole," she retorts as she dumps the cleaning products she's borrowed from Snow - who had to point her to where they were kept - down on the floor.
The second floor of the library is actually cut in two. One half contains storage while the over is the apartment. Both can be accessed via a hallway entered from inside the library or a stairway from the alleyway out back. The apartment itself is larger than Emma had imagined. It's open planned with the kitchen to the right of the door, living area to the left next to the windows overlooking Main Street, a bed with no mattress is pushed up into the far left corner, a bathroom in the far right, and a pillar dead centre.
And boxes upon boxes of random shit everywhere.
And cobwebs, can't forget the cobwebs.
It's the weekend after all the mess and Emma felt the need to do something so she called Belle. The poor woman needs an actual home. She'd texted Red as well, however the brunette has to work but stated she'd come after lunch with some food and aforementioned beer for later.
"Where should we start?" the blonde asks, wondering further into hell.
"The boxes," Belle says peeking to the closest one. "I want to sort through them."
Emma makes a sound comprised of a sigh and a grumble as she tilts her head back, her inner teenager showing. "That's gonna take forever. Do you actually want to move in? In this century?"
"Good point," thinking, now holding some of the boxes paper contents in her hand, she says, "We could move it to the storage room across the hall and I can just go through it later."
So that's what they do. They mostly work in comfortable silence, listening to the music playing through the speaker on Emma's phone. She will have to remember to bring her mp3 and dock next time.
She stops what she's doing, though, when she spots Belle silently swaying her hips to the music. Nope, Emma thinks to herself, she just got out of a shitty relationship you will not go there so don't even think about it. Plus, you don't even know if she swings your way. She has to shake her head to help remove those thoughts.
"Hey," Red says popping her head through the door. "Who wants food?"
They clear a space on the coffee table in the living room, sitting on the floor around it, and begin to eat.
"So, how much manual labour did I avoid?"
"Not that much."
"A lot."
They reply at the same time causing Red to giggle.
"Oh, come on Belle," Emma says with a smile and a wink hoping Belle would understand her train of thought. "This room was basically filled with shit when we started."
"She's exaggerating," Belle says, shaking her head at Emma's attempt to make Ruby feel guilty enough to do more work. She smiles and playfully slaps Emma's shoulder. "We managed to clear nearly all of it in a morning so it wasn't that much."
"Worth a shot," Emma shrugs before stuffing more food into her mouth.
The conversation stays light as they continue to eat and Emma vows to herself to spend more time with Belle and Red, just the three of them. She hasn't realised how good it is to have normal conversations - well as normal a conversation as you can have with fairly tail characters - that don't involve having to come up with a plan to stop evil. Or have to sensor herself when her mum's with them. It's nice.
With Red's help in their struggle against the boxes, the apartment is clear of them before dinner. They discuss continuing but they are all tired and Ruby is called back to the diner as the dinner rush became too much for the currently present staff.
"So, are you sleeping of the couch here or going back to Granny's for the night?" Emma asks as she moves the cleaning products onto the now clear kitchen counter.
"Granny's. The sofa doesn't look very comfortable… or clean."
Emma chuckles, "Yeah, we're gonna have to get you a new one along with a mattress." She walks towards the door and grabs her jacket. "Let me walk you back."
"It's just down the road, you don't need to walk me," Belle says in amusement as she locks up the apartment behind them.
"I know," Emma says as they make their way outside. "I just…"
"Feel sorry for me?" Belle cocks her head to the side.
"I do not feel sorry for you. I just want to make sure you get back safe." Belle gives her a look. "Fine, I feel slightly sorry for you. I know how it feels to be screwed over by someone."
"Thank you, Emma. I really appreciate all you're doing for me."
"Well, as Saviour, it's kinda my job. Happy endings and all that," Emma says with a smirk, realising that she managed to walk the brunette to Granny's without her protesting.
Belle chuckles and gives the blonde a quick hug. "Goodnight, Emma."
"'Night, Belle."