It was late that afternoon going on twilight when the door to the library creaked open. Felix was busy placing books on a shelf and Belle was seated at her desk chattering away about a story she had read when she was a little girl that had really inspired her. She suddenly stopped mid-sentence though and pushed up from her seat, heading right down the aisle to the person that had just walked in.
Felix paused with a couple of books in his hands and peeked around the edge of the bookshelf he was currently standing behind curiously. He felt his eyes narrow and his lips twitch into a vicious snarl at the sight of the older man with a black cane walking slowly up the aisle with Belle clinging to him. The woman was grinning happily, saying something and staring up at the man with a loving expression. He was gazing down at her with the same warmth filling his own eyes. Felix rolled his and leaned back behind the shelf.
As the two passed by where Felix was standing, the blonde glanced over just as the man was looking up at him. Their eyes collided and the man immediately halted. Surprise filled his gaze first, then confusion and, finally, a resentful anger that ran deep into his soul. Tension permeated the air as a snarl that perfectly matched Felix's earlier one formed on the man's lips.
"What the bloody hell is he doing here?" He demanded of Belle, his eyes staying locked with Felix's.
Belle glanced between the two, furrowing her brows in confusion at the suddenly tense atmosphere.
"Peter's gone for a couple of days, so I was watching him," she began but was quickly interrupted.
"Watching him?" The man scoffed, his eyes flashing with disgust at the blonde. "What? Is he a dog that needs to be looked after? Pan's little pet can't take care of himself?"
Felix resisted the urge to growl, to show him just what kind of a dog he was dealing with.
"Rumple," Belle scolded firmly, lightly slapping the man's arm. "Don't talk that way about him. You know I didn't mean it like that. Felix kept me company today and even helped me sort some new books. He was very helpful to me. ... And you," she quickly added, glaring up at the man. "If Felix hadn't been here, you would've had to lift a heavy box and probably would've thrown out your back again."
"Pity I was here," Felix remarked, turning slightly to stare Rumple down more easily, a tiny smirk crossing his lips.
Rumple's eyes narrowed even further as the snarl on his face deepened. The man hated Felix just as much as the boy hated him. Even though they weren't on Neverland anymore, Rumple knew they would never get over their resentment towards one another. Peter had put way too much bad blood between them.
Belle glanced between the two males once again, raising an eyebrow quizzically.
"What's going on with you two?" She asked curiously after a moment.
"Why don't you ask the young lad," Rumple bit out, his eyes narrowed.
"It must be so hard living with the knowledge that your own father chose another man over you," Felix drawled, his smirk growing a little.
Rumple's snarl melted into a wicked sneer as he chuckled.
"Yes, I suppose you won when he tore out your heart for that curse and then crushed it into dust, just standing there watching as you crumpled before him, gasping out your last breathes. That must've been a real shining moment for you two in whatever psychotic relationship you have. He wasn't choosing you, laddie. He was choosing himself and power."
Felix shook his head, scoffing a little at the man's words.
"Yet, here I stand," Felix remarked, meeting Rumple's stare once more. "Peter always gets what he wants."
It was Rumple's turn to scoff.
"Well, his plan to take over Storybrooke and make us all his slaves certainly didn't prevail."
"Like I said," Felix drawled with that same easy smirk still planted firmly in place, "Peter ALWAYS gets what he wants."
And Rumple could hear the words the boy wasn't saying loud and clear. What Peter wanted more than the curse, more than power, more than Rumple... was Felix.
Rumple could feel his body beginning to shudder with anger. He wanted nothing more than to wipe the floor with the blonde's infuriating smirk. Belle's voice suddenly broke into his murderous thoughts.
"That's enough," she said firmly, glaring up at Rumple and then at Felix. "From both of you. I don't know what kind of history you two have but clearly there are things that need to be resolved. Not just between you two but with Peter as well. I don't think a trip to Mr. Cricket's counseling office would hurt."
"Counseling won't help us, love," Rumple growled fiercely through clenched teeth as he and Felix continued to stare each other down.
"Well, like it or not, we're all going to be family eventually," Belle snapped. She suddenly reached up and tugged Rumple's chin down, forcing him to look her in the eyes. "Peter is always going to be your father and Felix is going to be your step-father." Rumple groaned at the woman's words, grimacing in disgust.
"Don't give me that look," Belle continued sternly. "You know it's true. No matter how much you try and deny it. Peter loves Felix and I know that deep down he loves you as well, Rumple."
Felix suddenly scoffed at the woman's naive words. Peter hated his son just as much as Felix did. That wasn't getting changed any time soon.
Belle shot the boy a look before turning back to Rumple.
"The sooner you all get these issues you have with each other resolved, the happier everyone will be. Now, apologize."
Rumple and Felix's eyes widened a little surprise as they looked at the woman.
"What?" Rumple chocked out in disbelief.
"You heard me," Belle growled.
"Belle, I don't think that's-" Rumple stumbled out but was quickly cut off by Felix's firm tone.
"I don't need an apology," he stated, lying the books in his hand down onto the shelf before looking back up at Belle and Rumple. "I need to be going."
He stepped forward, shooting one last wicked little smirk at the man.
"This was fun, sonny. We should do it again sometime," he drawled, snickering a little at the way Rumple's lips twitched, fighting back a snarl.
Felix dipped his head ever so slightly to Belle and then casually walked down the aisle between the rows of books to the front door. Felix thought he could hear Rumple cursing behind him but he simply smiled pleasantly to himself and pushed open the front door.