After the stressful afternoon they'd had, Nick decided to treat Belle and Baden to a dinner out. Belle had tried to pay for her meal, but Nick wouldn't have any of it. "You're my girlfriend," he'd said. "I want to spoil you sometimes."
She relented mainly because she was too busy smothering Baden with kisses to continue the argument. She had come so far, just by having Nick around. It was truly amazing; She had a "Mom Look" that Ruby hated, and Mary Margaret loved. She had been staying over at Nick's house much more often than her own apartment, but she hadn't officially moved in yet.
"Mama, can I have the green crayon please?" Bae asked her, and she nodded, giving him the crayon of choice. "Here you go, sweetie," she murmured into his hair. He began to doodle on the piece of paper they'd been given.
"Do you think she'll really try to...?" Belle asked Nick softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"She can try." Nick assured her, but that wasn't very helpful in ways of assurance. "But she won't get it- She left him the first time round, and I was the one who stayed round. He has another mother, so there isn't that strong pull most judges have for giving custody to mothers. Plus, I did some digging, and she doesn't even have a job. She just goes to art galleries sometimes," he continued.
"Darn right he has another mother," Belle whispered fiercely.
"I know, love." Nick assured her with a small smirk. "He loves you like you gave birth to him," he told her.
"And so do I." She replied unnecessarily.
"Trust me, if I'd had any doubts that you loved my son, I wouldn't be contemplating-" he broke off suddenly, awkwardly.
"Contemplating?" she pressed, knocking her knee against his, smirking.
"Well, this was certainly not how I wanted to ask you," Nick told her.
"Yes, but it's how you're going to. I'm too intrigued now," Belle smirked more.
"D'you- I mean... Spindles, this is hard to ask," Nick said awkwardly.
"Make it a deal?" Belle suggested, knowing Nick's keen sense of how to make a deal.
"Brilliant," Nick complimented her, kissing her nose. "Have you noticed the battle in the closet? Between our clothes?" Nick asked her smoothly, all former nervousness gone from his voice.
"The battle of the clothes- I'm familiar." she said, her heart pounding.
"I think it'd make sense if both of the commanding generals were around," Nick said slyly.
"So.. you want me around more?" Belle couldn't dare hope that this was happening. She was going to wake up, and all of this, the last month with Nick and Bae was going to be nothing but a dream.
"I want you to move in with me, and Bae." Nick told her flat out.
Picking Bae up, she got up out of the booth she'd shared with Baden, and threw herself into the booth with Nick.
"If I had known I was going to be assaulted like this, I would have asked you on the first date..." Nick joked.
"Oh shut up," Belle smirked, kissing him on the mouth gently. Their lips molded together perfectly until Baden coughed.
"Mama, papa, we're in public," he said, scandalized.
"It's perfectly okay for mamas and papas to kiss in public, Baden Neal," Nick snorted, pressing a kiss to Belle's brow before pulling away, although he kept one of his arms around her waist to keep her from leaving his side.

A week later, the scene unfolds wherein Belle has just tucked Bae into bed, and she was about to go to the room she shared with Nick when she heard a knock on the door. "Nick," she called softly. "Someone's at the door," Though this was now her house as much as Nick's, she felt uncomfortable opening the door most of the time.
"Can you get it? I'll be there in a minute," Nick called in response.
"'Kay," Belle went to the door and opened it, surprised to see a man in a suit. "Are you looking for Nick?" she asked curiously.
"I'm looking for a Mr. Gold," The man said.
"Yes, one second please. Do come in," Belle said, opening the door farther to allow him to step inside. "Honey, I think it's one of your friends!" She called to Nick.
"You've met them all, darling," Nick said, coming out of the room and taking a look at the lawyer in question. "I'm Mr. Gold," he said.
"You've been served, sir." The lawyer handed a folder of papers to Nick, and took his leave.
A few seconds later, after he'd had time to leaf through the papers, Belle went to his side and looked over his shoulder carefully. "What is it?" she asked.
"Milah's doing it." he growled out. "She's saying we're unfit parents," he snarled.

CROSS POSTED ON ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN

I AM AN ADMIN OF A RUMBELLE FACEBOOK GROUP: Rumbelle For The Win

LOTS OF LOVE, KINDLE