David hardly breathed, just tried to convey in some way that he wasn't going to walk away from this. Neither of them could sweep this event under the carpet now; they were in this situation together, and David could do little but promise to help. Rumpelstiltskin's hands migrated from his ears to his face, covering everything that could give away tangible emotions, but his shoulders were shaking too hard to conceal.

Rumpelstiltskin seemed to curl up on himself. David went down with him, and eventually they both ending up sitting on the cold asphalt and neither of them moved for a while. David wondered how long this silence was going to last, feeling something like white noise starting to echo in his ears. Perhaps it was all in his head- did that make it any less real?

David shook his head, clearing the thoughts away and returned his focus to Rumpelstiltskin.

"Rumpelstiltskin?" he spoke the name, but he heard nothing. He felt the vibration in his throat; he knew he had spoken. David tapped Rumpelstiltskin's left arm with his fingers, trying to get attention but what was he going to do after receiving the attention? Try to speak? Was Rumpelstiltskin good at lip reading?

Rumpelstiltskin moved one hand away from his face, waving it distractedly in the air and it was like a firecracker went off in David's ears. Suddenly everything was loud; the gulls by the docks, the wind, the haltering buzz of a nearly busted streetlight. Rumpelstiltskin's other hand now covered the eyes and David didn't have to be able to hear to know there was tears hidden from his sight.

David inhaled, "I'm… sorry I pushed you."

"Never mind now," Rumpelstiltskin's voice was thick, nasally and David looked down and away.

Guilt was spreading in his gut like a wildfire.

"Just… go away."

David licked his lips. He was tempted, he really was. "I can't just leave you here," he said defiantly.

"Sure you can. It's not di-difficult. Just get up and leave," Rumpelstiltskin said it as if it really was that simple.

"It wouldn't be right," David countered.

Rumpelstiltskin sighed, "While you have your little internal debate with yourself about what's right and what's wrong, I'm going to go home and spin." Rumpelstiltskin pushed David's legs away from his own and stood, looking slightly hazed. The sorcerer inhaled sharply, "Goodnight, David."

Before David could utter a word of protest, purple smoke had engulfed Rumpelstiltskin, and the prince knew it was too late. He was left sitting on the asphalt feeling something cold and heavy in his gut. As he stood, Leroy's keys fell out of his jacket.

If he hadn't been down by the docks, who would Rumpelstiltskin have turned to?